Just An Animal
by Tomecko
Summary: Complete! InuKag. The jewel is nearly complete. Can Inuyasha convince Kagome to stay with him when it's done? What will he do if he can't?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, that's right, I don't own Inu-yasha. You don't have to rub it in... *sob* Neither do I own The Cranberries, who wrote the 'chapter song.'

  


**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 1** Chapter Song: _Sunday_ - The Cranberries

_Oh, do you know where to go, where to go_

_Something on your mind - wanna leave me behind, leave me behind_

~*~

Inu-yasha stood looking disdainfully down at the gooey pool of poison that was all that remained of Naraku. He had numerous wounds from the battle, and they hurt, but they would heal. But there were other... other wounds that would take longer to heal, for some of them.

He glanced over his shoulder at Sango, who sobbed heartbrokenly over Kohaku's fallen body. Finding no more use for the boy, and mostly to distract Sango from the battle, Naraku had removed Kohaku's shard and released him to death.__

Miroku held her, and for once there was no look of lechery on his face, just simple concern for his friend and shared grief for the brother she had loved. Even Shippo tried his best to comfort the distraught taijiya, his tiny arms wrapped tightly around one of her legs.

Inu-yasha grimaced, feeling sympathy for the demon-slayer. Much as he hated to admit it, she was his friend. After all this time, it still seemed strange... the human was his friend. And he knew only too well what it was like to lose a loved one.

One person was obviously missing from Sango's side. Inu-yasha looked around. Where was Kagome? If something had happened to her... he'd tried to keep her safe in the battle... Panic began to seize him, but then her soothing scent of lavender filled his senses.

She knelt next to him, eyes scanning the venomous ooze he had been contemplating moments earlier. Sango was her best friend, and she wanted to be there for her, but some things were more important...

"Do you see them?" Inu-yasha said as Kagome seemed to notice something in the black pool.

"The shards are there," she said, pointing. "Too far out for me. Can you withstand the poison?"

"Feh," was his only reply as he trudged out to where she had pointed and scooped up the stained and blackened shards. The poison made his bare feet sting, but it wasn't very strong now that Naraku was dead.

He brought them to Kagome and she cleansed them with a touch. Removing the jewel from her necklace, she looked up at Inu-yasha, her face a mix of emotions.

"This is it, Inu-yasha... the Shikon Jewel should be complete now..."

Something tightened painfully in his chest as he looked down into Kagome's face. "That means..." he began quietly.

"...the journey's over," she finished, looking away. She clasped the jewel tightly in her left hand and the errant shards in the other, nervous to bring the two together.

Inu-yasha remained silent as thoughts ran swiftly through his head. _Kagome's smiling face... the way she looked so peaceful when sleeping... the way she worried about him... her scent... how she cooked him ramen... how he loved when she rubbed his ears and how he'd rather die than admit it..._

Other, less pleasant, thoughts entered his mind as well. _The way he always made her cry... the time he'd shoved her down the well... every time he'd ever screamed at, cursed at, or insulted her... the way her face fell whenever he left her to find Kikyo... how he always put her down... how he made her look for shards instead of living the life she wanted to, in her own time..._

The last thought, the one he'd been avoiding for so long now, finally slipped through his defenses and let itself be heard.

_The Jewel is complete and she's going to leave. She's going to leave you and never come back._

He wasn't sure he could bear it. His chest tightened again, more painfully, until breathing seemed to become difficult. He hated that feeling. The feeling of despair, of loneliness, of being unwanted. He'd felt it when his mother died. He'd felt it with every dirty look from a villager. He'd felt it when Kikyo's arrow pinned him to the Goshinboku.

It had been so great... when he'd met Kagome, that feeling had finally fled from him. He hadn't felt the black, gnawing emptiness for so long... so long... but now it was back, eating viciously at his soul, and he hated it. 

Unnerved by Inu-yasha's uncharacteristic silence, Kagome looked down at her hands, still fisted around the jewel and the shards.

Her heart was hurting too. _Of course, he'll want the Jewel. And me, lovesick fool that I am, I'll give it to him_. _Even though I know exactly what he'll do with it... and it hurts, it hurts so much._

_ He'll bring Kikyo back. He doesn't even care that it hurts me. He never cares when he hurts me, but I can't stop... wanting... hoping..._

_You're never going to win his heart, you know, _the little voice in her head said._ You have to face it. It's hopeless and it only brings you pain._

The voice was right. With a sniff, Kagome slapped her hands together and felt warmth between her palms as her miko powers fused Naraku's shards to the jewel.

Both hanyou and human watched apprehensively as the flickers of light between Kagome's cupped hands faded. Slowly, she drew her hands apart.

"What?" Inu-yasha snapped, dropping down to a squat and glaring at the jewel. Kagome, too, stared in wonder.

It wasn't complete. A small missing chunk still marred the surface of the tiny sphere of light.

"But... but..." Kagome stammered. "Naraku had the rest, didn't he? It should be done!"

Inu-yasha's eyes narrowed at her words. _She's that anxious to be done with it, eh? Wants to be rid of me, I suppose..._

"I guess..." Kagome continued. "I guess Naraku didn't collect all the remaining shards. That means there's still some demons out there with more shards. So I'm still needed here."

Internally, both Inu-yasha and Kagome breathed sighs of relief.

_She won't leave me. Not yet._

_ I can still see Inu-yasha... at least for a little while..._

So grateful was Inu-yasha he even let her return home two days later without too big a fuss. She only had to sit him once, and he didn't even swear... much.

_She has to come back. It's not done... and we still have a little more time. A little more time where I don't have to feel alone..._

...

_And I couldn't find the words to say I love you_

_and I couldn't find the time to say I need you_

_it wouldn't come out right, it wouldn't come out right_

_it just came out all wrong_

~*~

**Author's Note:** Yay! Chapter one is a go! I have actually written this entire fic, and will be posting one chapter a day, so tune in tomorrow for more! Warning: Contains giant amounts of angst! But also some humor, action, lots of romance (naturally), and just a wee bit of drama. Hope you like! 

  


Side note - chapter songs are like 'angst multipliers.' Not required, but they definitely set the mood.

  


**Coming up next:** There's still a few shards left to go. Will they find the demons who hold them before more innocent lives are taken? Find out in Chapter 2!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inu-yasha! *falls to floor, wailing and gnashing teeth*

  


**Previously in our fic: **Naraku's defeated, but the jewel still isn't complete... much to the relief of Inu-yasha and Kagome. Will they ever admit their feelings for each other?

**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 2** Chapter Song: _Think Twice - _Eve Six

_Think twice before you touch my girl_

_come around, come around no more_

_~*~_

Kagome hurried down the steps of the school, mentally ticking off a list of things she still had to pack for her trip back to the Sengoku Jidai. She'd forgotten so many things last time...

The sun was shining brightly and the other students were laughing, chatting merrily about things that Kagome didn't have time for. _It's amazing..._ she thought as she hitched her bag higher on her shoulder. _With Naraku gone, the Shikon Jewel is almost complete. Pretty soon I can start having a normal life again!_

"Higurashi?"

A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned with a sigh. "Sorry, Hojo, but I'm sort of in a hurry right now... ah... Grandpa needs me at the shrine today, yeah..."

Hojo's face fell predictably. She noted that at least he didn't have another random present in his hands. She felt bad always turning him down like this... naive, he might be, but he really was nice. Maybe if she wasn't... 

"M-maybe I could... walk you home?" Hojo said hopefully, once again putting a stop to her thought process.

Kagome winced inwardly at his puppy-dog expression. _Maybe just this once..._ "Sure, Hojo, that'd be great."

His face brightened immediately and he began a rather one-sided conversation about basketball teams as the two of them continued down the street.

After what seemed like an eternity of sports scores, Kagome finally arrived at the base of the steps to the Higurashi shrine. She stole a glance at Hojo's watch and grimaced. _Inu-yasha will be furious at me._

"...so I guess what I'm trying to say is, Kagome, would you like to go to Spring Formal with me? I mean, if you're still not feeling well from the Malaysian flu last week, I'll understand..."

"Huh?" Kagome said, snapping to attention. Hojo blushed and scratched his head.

"The... uh, the Spring Formal. Are you going? It's on Saturday night."

Kagome broke out in a cold sweat as she realized what Hojo was asking. "I, uh... I..." It was then that she noticed a figure in red standing at the top of the long stone stairway. _Oh, no..._

"Come _on_, Kagome! You're late, you know!" Inu-yasha yelled down at her, his black eyebrows coming together dangerously.

"Who's that?" said Hojo, squinting up at the hanyou. "Is he... wearing dog ears?"

Kagome smiled wanly at him. "I'm sorry, Hojo, but now I _really_ have to go. I'll have to, uh, get back to you about the dance..." She took the steps two at a time, leaving a confused Hojo standing behind her.

He stared after her disappointedly as she disappeared from view with the boy in red. "Who is that guy?" he wondered aloud to noone in particular. Then with a sigh, he turned toward the street that would lead him home. 

"I didn't even get to give her these smelling salts I bought..."

...

Inu-yasha sat huffily on her bed as Kagome flew around the room, throwing things into her pack.

"... So, what were you two talking about?" he said suspiciously, crossing his arms and legs and glaring at her back.

Kagome caught his look in the mirror and rolled her eyes. "What, me and Hojo? Oh, nothing..."

"Then why are you _still_ blushing?" he said, sniffing disdainfully.

Kagome tossed her hairbrush and socks into the pack next to Inu-yasha, then stuck it on her back. "Why, Inu-yasha, you wouldn't be _jealous _of Hojo, now would you?" she said coyly as she walked out of the bedroom and started down the stairs.

"Me?! Jealous?! Of that little kid? _Feh,_" Inu-yasha proclaimed indignantly, following her closely down the stairs and into the backyard. Sota paused in playing to wave goodbye. Buyo loped over as they stepped into the wellhouse, fixing his feline gaze on Inu-yasha and swishing his tail.

"What do you see in that guy?" Inu-yasha continued, baring his teeth at the cat. Buyo washed an ear, yawned, and sauntered off. "Boring foolish boy..."

"It just so _happens_ that that 'foolish boy' was asking me to the Spring Formal on Saturday, seeing as how you're so _interested_," Kagome snapped irritably, dropping her bag with a thud and removing the cover from the well.

"'Spring Formal?' Wha... this is a dance?" Inu-yasha said, his ears twitching. Kagome smiled and dropped into the well. "Hey...!" He leapt in after her.

...

_When I showed up and he was there_

_I tried my best to grin and bear_

_and took the stairs but didn't stop at the street_

_and as we speak I'm going down_

_~*~_

**Author's Note:** Thanks to the one person who's reviewed me so far: Ruzena! Yes, there will eventually be fluff, but first it gets really sad... This is about 15 chapters in length, so just hold on. I'm bad at writing MirSan, so there really isn't much of it. Sorry.

  


And to all those who have asked, I don't think I can squeeze out anymore of my "You Know You're An Inuyasha Fan If..." dealies. I can't think of anymore!!! But I love all the ones you've posted in your reviews. So funny!

  


**Coming up next:** Back in the Sengoku Jidai, the companions set off to fight mysterious water-demons that decimated a nearby village. Do these demons hold the final shards? Find out in Chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** The honor of owning Inu-yasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, and I am not her. *sigh* ...

  


**Previously in our fic:** Inu-yasha comes to get Kagome and finds that Hojo's invited her to a dance... Typical fight stuff.

  


**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 3** Chapter Song: _You Belong to Me - _Jason Wade

_Fly the ocean in a silver plane_

_see the jungle when it's wet with rain_

_just remember 'til you're home again_

_you belong to me_

_~*~_

Miroku looked up as he heard voices approaching. Loud, angry voices. He sighed and Sango raised an eyebrow.

"Look, it's not like I said I was going, okay? I'm going to be here fighting demons until Sunday, just like I promised!" Kagome said as she strode into the clearing with her bike, Inu-yasha hot on her heels.

"Why you'd want to go with that insufferable little..."

"That's my _friend_ you're talking about..."

"Stop it, both of you!" Miroku yelled, momentarily stunning them into silence. "Listen, Kaede says that a village southeast of here was attacked the other day by demons..."

"A few survivors arrived the other day... barely concious, white as death, and hardly a mark on them," said Sango, picking up her boomerang. "They said all they remembered was that they appeared in the river and began dragging people underwater."

"We think it sounds like kappa-demons," Miroku said. "Apparently they haven't left the area yet, but they'll move on to kill again so we have to hurry. This village is along the same river, we might be the next ones attacked."

"I guess we're off, then." Kagome said, ruffling Shippo's hair as he clambered onto her bulging pack to hitch a ride.

"It's about a day's journey to the village..." Miroku said, following Sango onto the forest path and casually throwing an arm around her waist. The arm was swiftly removed as Sango swung her hand, and Miroku started in on a plan to defeat the demons that involved using Sango as live, perhaps nude, bait.

Kagome sighed and followed them. Inu-yasha fell into step beside her, still scowling ferociously.

"Stupid brainless _twit_..."

"Shut up or I'll say it, dog-boy!"

Inu-yasha glowered but resorted to muttering under his breath after that. He sighed inwardly. He wanted the shards that these kappa might hold... but a little part of him knew that these might be the last shards. And then he'd lose Kagome forever....

As they settled down for the night at the edge of a forest, Kagome glanced up into Inu-yasha's tree and watched him. He'd finally stopped grumbling and was now staring off into space, arms crossed, face impassive.

The firelight flickered over his white hair and red robes. The orange light made him look as if he, too, was on fire... although his expression was cold, like ice.

_I wonder what he's thinking... _she wondered. _I never can tell. I wish I knew... how to talk to him... _Kagome sighed and fingered the jewel around her neck.

She'd admitted to herself long ago that she loved him. _It's just... sometimes he makes it so hard to love him. Like today, with Hojo... Just when I think he might be opening up to me... something happens to put us back at square one._

_ Something like Kikyo. _A slight breeze caused the fire to sputter and ruffled Inu-yasha's hair. Shippo grumbled and snuggled closer to her, shivering. She wrapped the sleeping bag closer around him and he quieted. _I wonder if he's thinking about... her... _

Kikyo was still around, of course, collecting souls and wreaking havoc. And now that Naraku was gone... Inu-yasha had promised to descend with her to hell, once it was all over. The next time they met, he might... might...

She didn't even want to think it. She couldn't bear the thought of losing him. Of losing any of them, really... She pulled Shippo closer and glanced over her shoulder at Miroku and Sango. 

Miroku was asleep on the opposite side of the fire, looking strange with two bare arms peeking out of his sleeves. Since Naraku's death, they had more than once caught him staring in awe at his hand, which was now free of the kazaana that Naraku had put in it.

Sango curled against Kirara's side, who had opted for the giant fire-cat form tonight. Her grief was slowly fading... Shippo and Miroku had been trying their hardest to cheer her up (although Miroku's methods had earned him several minor concussions).

When the jewel was completed, she would have to leave all of them, wouldn't she? She couldn't stay here. She would have to leave her darling kitsune Shippo. And Sango had become like a sister to her... Even Miroku had started to grow on her, as long as he kept his hands where she could see them.

Then there was Inu-yasha, of course. She returned her gaze to the solemn hanyou on the tree-branch.

They'd complete the jewel and he would wish for Kikyo to live again. And she would lose him... go home with a broken heart... The old ache in her chest began to throb again and she sighed softly. _If only I could just stop loving him... but I can't, can I?_

Inu-yasha glanced over at her small sigh and caught her staring, giving her a long, unreadable look before returning his gaze to the night sky. Kagome laid her head back. _Things were so much simpler before Kikyo came, before all this happened... if only I'd never fallen in the well in the first place... if I'd just had a normal life... _She fell into a restless sleep, her hand closed tight around the Shikon Jewel at her throat.

...

_And I'll be so alone without you_

_maybe you'll be lonesome too..._

_~*~_

**Author's Note:** I swear, something more interesting than dialogue happens in the next chapter. There's *gasp* actual action! Just stick with me, I promise I'm going somewhere with this fic... eh heh heh... And the chaps start getting longer after this. A big shoutout to all my reviewers! You guys _seriously _rock.

  


**Coming up next:** The showdown begins with the kappa-demons... they are kappa-demons, right? Or are they something worse? Find out in Chapter 4!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** ... ... ... Yeah, I don't own him. So what?! *sulks grumpily* Oh, and I don't own the spiffy song or the band that performs it.

  


**Previously in our fic: **A village has been attacked by ...kappa-demons? Our trusty heroes forge onward! But does Kagome really want to leave when the quest is done?

  


**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 4** Chapter Song: _Chasing Sirens_ - Orgy

_Everyone, look at me, I'm chasing sirens_

_trying to discover what's wrong with my mind_

_~*~_

They reached the village late the next day. Inu-yasha led the way through the eerie, deserted streets towards the river, which was on the far side of town.

"I don't understand," Sango was saying as they passed through the abandoned market. "If kappa need water to survive... how did they desecrate a whole town? They couldn't come out of the river to get their victims, they can only attack those who enter the water. Surely people didn't just walk into a kappa-infested river..." Kirara stuck close to her master's leg, the fur on her back standing up ominously.

"And I thought kappa lived in marshes." Miroku said, his face grave, peering into one silent black window after another. "And I've never heard of a pack of kappa before, they're usually solitary. Something... something is wrong with this... maybe it's not a demon that attacked this town..." He tripped rather ungracefully over something in the grass and bent down to pick it up.

"It's demons... I can smell them," said Inu-yasha, wrinkling his nose. "And it's getting stronger. We're almost at the river..."

"There's no struggle," said Miroku. "It's like she just left it here and walked off..." He fished a little girl's doll out of the grass - the object he'd tripped over.

"What happened here?" Kagome said, taking the sad little rag doll from Miroku's hand. She turned suddenly toward the river. "Wait... I... I sense the jewel..."

"A shard?" said Inu-yasha, tightening his grip on the Tetsusaiga's scabbard.

"No... _several _shards..." 

Shippo stiffened. "D-does anyone else hear that?"

The group paused and strained to listen. A low, mournful song floated from the direction of the river. It was haunting, a song of sorrow and tears, and yet it was also beautiful.

Kagome shivered. She suddenly felt a terrible compulsion pulling her forward, an irresistible urge to go towards the eerie lilting melody. Her feet seemed to move of their own accord, even as her mind cried out in protest. _Something is horribly wrong... _Soon even that was swallowed up in the need to find the singers of the beautiful song.__

She felt more than saw the others at her side who also stumbled toward the grassy banks of the river that were visible at the edge of town. Even the red-clad hanyou who walked entranced beside her, white ears straining forward, drew no recognition from her mind. Everything was pain and longing, which seemed to ease as the river drew into view...

Three beautiful women sat immersed to their shoulders in the shallows, their long black hair swaying with the gentle motion of the water, their blue skin and red eyes glistening in the light of the setting sun. Kagome saw the blood staining their lips and chins, but her mind didn't seem to care anymore, for from their crimson lips came the sweetest notes that any mortal had ever heard...

The houshi stumbled forward, murmuring nonsensically about child-bearing. The women smiled, showing mouthfuls of gleaming fangs, and reached out their arms, beckoning them to the water. 

Miroku lurched across the grass, passing torn bits of cloth that were all that was left of the village's inhabitants. The others hurried forward as the song rose ecstatically higher, welcoming them to the river's delightful embrace.

A ray of dying sunlight lit up the purple jewel shards embedded in the women's foreheads, and Kagome faltered as a thought percolated the hazy mist covering her mind. _The Shikon Jewel.._

Behind her, Kirara yowled, and the sound of the demon-cat's scream distracted Kagome for a moment from the women's compelling melody.

More thoughts flooded in as Kagome's mind returned to her. "No! Not kappa! Sirens!" she screamed. "Sirens! Don't listen!"

The others paused for a second, but continued toward the demon-women, who sang with increased vigor.

Kagome ran for the one nearest her, which was Inu-yasha. She leapt on his back and clapped her hands over his ears, tugging on them. "Wake up, will you?! They're sirens!"

"_Owww_!" snapped Inu-yasha, coming out of his trance. "That _hurts_! ...Huh?" He looked around and saw the women in the river. "Of course... Mizu-on'na... the 'water-women!' They lured the villagers out with their song... and then..." He nodded at the ripped fabric that was strewn over the bank.

Kagome untied her bandana from her collar and knotted it around Inu-yasha's head, covering his ears and blocking out the siren-song. "They each have a jewel shard between their eyes. Quick, we have to help the others... oh, no... Miroku, no!!!"

Miroku had stepped into the river, splashing his way towards the demons. Inu-yasha growled and drew his sword. "I'll get him. Help Sango and Shippo..." He ran towards the river as Miroku reached his hands out for the women.

Kagome dug frantically through her pack and pulled out her wad of bandages. Stuffing some in her ears, she darted for a zombie-like Sango. A ball of yellow fur flew past her head as she grabbed for Sango's arm, and Kirara screamed in her master's ear.

Sango stumbled, shocked, and Kagome shoved bandages unceremoniously in her ears. 

"Uh... wha?" Sango said, returning to life. She turned just in time to see one siren grab for Miroku and gasped. "Miroku!"

Kagome tackled Shippo to the ground and gave him the earplug treatment. "Inu-yasha... hurry! Miroku..."

Inu-yasha leapt from the bank and landed between Miroku and the demon-woman. She drew back as she saw the bandana covering his ears. Her blood-stained mouth opened wide, showing several rows of sharp, pointed teeth, and she let out a blood-curdling scream of rage. The other two sirens continued their song, moving closer.

"Miroku, get back to shore now..." Inu-yasha said, turning to address his bewitched friend.

Kagome screamed as Miroku swung his staff and hit Inu-yasha solidly in the side of the head, knocking him into the water.

"He's still under their spell!" yelled Sango as Inu-yasha rose out of the water, spluttering indignantly and dodging another swing by the monk. "You have to cover his ears!"

Inu-yasha clapped his hands over the monk's ears and dragged him, kicking and screaming, back to shore. Kagome plugged Miroku's ears and he shook his head. 

"What... what's going on?" he stammered as his eyes un-glazed.

"Looks like your kappa theory is _just a load of bull!_" Inu-yasha growled, pointing at the three wailing women in the river, who were moving cautiously closer to shore. Miroku snorted.

"Hey, I couldn't have known..."

"...could've been killed, I hope you know, _stupid _houshi, they were going to _eat _you..."

Kagome turned away in disgust as they argued, and looked apprehensively at the three mizu-on'na. Something bugged her about the way they moved... the way they had paused now that the water was only at waist-level. _They move too fluidly... do they have legs?_

"Sango, what do you know about these demons?" she yelled as the men continued arguing on the riverbank. ("...walking right into their arms... hitting me with that blasted staff...")

"Not much - just that the mizu-on'na are three sisters who sing sailors to their deaths... I thought they only lived in salt-water, though! The shards' powers must have enabled them to come inland... will you _STOP IT, _you two?!" Miroku paused in mid-retort and Inu-yasha scratched his head.

"Why... why aren't they doing anything?" Kagome said nervously. "They aren't... they aren't moving..."

Inu-yasha stared closely at the demons. They were still singing, but the bandana protected him from their spell. "There's something... something under the water's surface... it's moving..."

"You..." One of the demon-women spoke, her voice high and nasal, almost sibilant. "You... have the jewel..."

Something _was _moving underneath the water... moving towards shore. Inu-yasha whirled. "Kagome, look out!"

Tentacles exploded out of the water and grabbed at Kagome. She screamed as one caught her leg and hauled her into the air, her bow falling from her fingers. The world spun as she swung over the river, sky below, river above... a flash of red from the corner of her eye... and then countless tentacles wrapped around her body, squeezing the breath from her, and she was pulled underwater. 

...

_Everyone, look at me, I'm chasing sirens_

_demanding their attention, so selfish_

_~*~_

**Author's Note: **Nrrrr... cliffhanger! MWAHAHAHA!!! You'll have to read tomorrow's chappie won'tcha?! ...Sorry, I'm so evil... *sweatdrop* Now here's what bugs me... I post a chapter and it doesn't show up 'til the next day!!! Really screws up my one-chap-a-day thing, here. Grrrrrr.

  


Mizu-on'na - literally means 'water-woman' or 'water-women.' (Wheee! I took Japanese as a second language in high school, it's so fun, very useful for anime fics...)

  


**Coming up next: **Can Inu-yasha save Kagome before she drowns? Will they be able to defeat the siren sisters? Find out in Chapter 5!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Inu-yasha: *unsheathes Tetsusaiga* "Say it! Say it now!" Me: "Waaaaah! I don't own you!..... or Enya!" *anime-style crying*

  


**Previously in our fic: **Three shard-powered sirens attack. Our heroes fight off their mind-enchanting song, but Kagome is in danger of drowning...

  


**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 5** Chapter Song: _Book of Days - _Enya

_No day, no night, no moment_

_Can hold me back from trying_

_~*~_

Kagome opened her eyes and tried to make sense of the thrashing tentacles and murky river, kicking and squirming against the grasping limbs. The women, it seemed, had no legs... from the waist down, all three were a giant mass of writhing tentacles.

Her lungs burned for air and she tried desperately for the surface. Spots began to appear before her eyes. _Inu-yasha... help me..._

There was a ripping sound and a scream from above-water, the sound echoing strangely in her ears. Then a clawed hand plunged in and pulled her up as the water began to turn red.

She coughed miserably and clung to Inu-yasha as he rapidly tore the remaining tentacles from her. One demon was missing an arm. No longer singing, now the demons began screaming like banshees, the water churning as their tentacles thrashed in rage.

"Get back to shore, quick. I'll deal with this..." said Inu-yasha, waist-deep in the water, his grip tightening on the Tetsusaiga. He shoved her roughly towards the river bank and splashed towards the demons. Kagome stumbled over the rocky riverbed, hurrying to shallow water. Miroku and Sango grabbed her arms as she came onto shore. 

"You lost your bow," Shippo said, handing it back. "Are you okay?"

Her arms were scratched and bleeding from the suckers on the tentacles. "I'll be fine... but Inu-yasha..."

The hanyou stopped as the water reached his chest. Movement was difficult in the water... it would have been easier to fight them on the shore. 

"We will not let the jewel escape!" wailed the wounded demon. Her tentacles lifted a shred of white rag out of the water. "Missing something?"

The sisters began singing again. "Hah!" said Inu-yasha. "Your song won't ensnare me..."

"Not you!" laughed the first demon as her sisters raised their voices in harmony.

"Inu-yasha..." Sango yelled from shore. "Kagome...!"

Inu-yasha turned and barely dodged an arrow as it whizzed past his head. "What...?" Kagome stood on shore, another arrow nocked and ready.

"Her earplugs! They fell out underwater!" Miroku yelled, pointing at the white rag the siren was waving gleefully. He then tackled Kagome, pressing his hands over her ears, and her second arrow fired wildly into the sky.

"Well, fix it!" Inu-yasha yelled, turning back to the demons. "I have other things to..."

He stopped mid-sentence. They were gone. The water around him was calm, not even a ripple. 

"What... where..." Something suddenly wrapped around his legs and yanked him along underwater. He twisted, kicking frantically at the tentacles, then searing agony ripped through his shoulder as another demon buried several rows of serrated fangs in the curve of his neck. He clawed frantically at the attacking demon with his free hand and it let go, ripping flesh viciously in the process. Kicking away the tentacles, he tried to ascertain which way was up. His lungs were burning.

It was hopeless. He knew he was at a serious disadvantage, attacking three shard-powered demons in their own natural element. And the Tetsusaiga, magical though it might be, was still iron. He couldn't swim while it weighed him down. _But I can't leave my sword... I need it! _He sank slowly towards the bottom of the river, the demon sisters whirling about him. His lungs began to spasm as they cried out for air.

The wounded demon was in front of him and he thrust the sword at her. The water clouded red as her other arm fell and was washed away in the current. She screamed, the sound garbled in the rushing water.

_Current?_ Inu-yasha thought as his oxygen-starved brain began to fade. Things began to get dark._ We're moving towards the rapids..._

A hand hauled him out of the water by his hair. The stinging of his scalp, followed by the sudden ability to breathe, revived him. His free hand scrabbled for a hold in Kirara's thick yellow fur, and Sango dragged him up further by the back of his haori, taking the sword from his numb hand. Blood flowed down his arm from his shoulder.

Kagome watched the rescue from shore, nearly sobbing with relief as she saw Inu-yasha clambering onto the giant demon-cat, clutching his torn shoulder.

Sango steadied Inu-yasha, noting the blood on her hand as she drew it away. "Are you alright, Inu-yasha?"

"Feh. I could have gotten out by myself," Inu-yasha snapped.

Sango smiled. She knew he meant 'thank you.'

"My sword?" Inu-yasha said, reaching his hand out for the blade that Sango held.

"Of course..." she began. Then tentacles lashed out from the river below them as the three demon sisters surged out of the water.

The wounded demon latched it's teeth into Inu-yasha's dangling ankle and gave a mighty tug. With a grunt of pain, he slid off Kirara's back and disappeared beneath the water's surface.

"Inu-yasha!" Sango screamed, echoed faintly by Kagome on shore. She urged Kirara forward with a nudge of her knees, following the momentary flash of red underwater. 

_Where is he..._ she thought as her eyes scanned the waves. _Come on... _Then Kirara lurched in the air, nearly unseating her master, and let loose a feline scream of agony as the other two demons dug their serrated fangs into her back leg.

Even back on the river bank, Miroku, Kagome and Shippo could hear the sickening crunch as Kirara's bone snapped. Sango beat savagely at the demons' heads with her giant boomerang, hanging on tightly as her demon-cat thrashed in pain.

The demons dropped back into the water, which was moving much faster than before, foaming white, and was specked with jagged black rocks.

_I have to get Kirara back to shore_, Sango thought frantically. _But Inu-yasha... he's stuck in the rapids with those demons..._ Her friends were yelling at her from the bank, running down the shoreline to catch up with her.

"... out of there _now!_" Miroku was screaming, pointing at her hand.

Sango looked at her hand. She was still holding the Tetsusaiga. Realization dawned.

"Kirara! Back to shore _NOW_!!!"

Just as she moved, the river exploded upwards behind her with a horrible cacophony of screams. Glancing over her shoulder, Sango could just make out Inu-yasha, his eyes glowing red in demonic rage, surrounded by water and detached tentacles. He was ripping the mizu-on'na apart.

Just as quickly, the four battling demons plunged back into the water, occasional limbs and tentacles flailing above the surface of the water as they moved swiftly downstream.

Sango landed on shore, dismounting, and nearly sobbed as Kirara stumbled painfully and collapsed. In a whoosh of fire, she turned back to her small form and mewed piteously, licking her bleeding and crushed leg.

Miroku reached her first and knelt, offering bandages that he pulled sheepishly from his ears, judging that the water women were a little too busy to sing right now. She sniffed and grabbed them, ministering carefully to her pet's wounds.

Kagome picked up the Tetsusaiga as she ran by. "I have to help him!" she yelled back as she ran on down the bank, trying to keep the fighting demons in the river as close as possible.

She could see Inu-yasha, obviously in his full-demon form, bashing in one demon's head with his own head, snarling as he crashed into a rock hidden under the foaming, churning water. Another demon emerged behind him, biting into his already bleeding shoulder. 

They disappeared beneath the white foam for a moment and Kagome glanced downriver as she ran. Then gasped in horror at what she saw.

...

_One day, one night, one moment_

_my dreams could be tomorrow_

~*~

**Author's Note: **Ooooo, another cliffie... *chuckles evilly* Sorry! I can't help it! Bad, bad author... *smacks self in head* Oooow...

code-wyze - I don't mind you saying I write like you! I went and read some of your stuff, I think you're right. If you like the way I write, try sol-li and everstar, they write awesome stuff, Kittydemon is also good.

Sailor Saturn2 - SM fans unite! Sailor Saturn is my favoritest!!!

Lei Xang - Yeah, I love Greek mythology (Roman, too, for that matter). Sirens are wicked awesome.

  


**Coming up next:** What did Kagome see? Can they defeat the sirens and gain the shards? Find out in Chapter 6!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** How many times do I have to tell you? Inu-yasha isn't mine! And neither are The Cranberries, for that matter.

  


**Previously in our fic: **As a demonic Inu-yasha braves river rapids to fight the sirens, Kagome races to his aid with Tetsusaiga in hand. But she sees something that spells trouble for our inu-youkai...

  


**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 6** Chapter Song: _I Still Do_ - The Cranberries

_I'm not ready for this_

_though I thought I would be be_

_I can't see the future_

_though I thought I could see_

~*~

The river and ground cut off a hundred or so yards distant, and mist rose ominously from below. Sudden fear gripped Kagome as the demons once again appeared above water, Inu-yasha now clawing at the demon that had just bitten him.

"Inu-yasha!" she screamed, knowing he would hear her and hoping he would understand. "Waterfall! It's a waterfall! You have to get out of the river!"

The dog-demon turned at the sound of her voice as he finished off the last demon. His large red eyes followed her pointing finger and then widened considerably as they took in the sudden dropoff. The current was pulling him inexorably towards it.

Kagome watched in horror as Inu-yasha attempted to swim towards shore. The current was too fast, even for his demon strength.

She sensed another demon aura and then Shippo was at her side, pulling something from his kimono.

"Hop on, Kagome!" he shouted as the tiny leaf he'd pulled out grew to giant proportions. Kagome pulled herself onto the floating leaf and hugged Shippo in gratitude.

Shippo guided the leaf with his magic over the rushing water, where Inu-yasha was battling the current, snarling and flailing. The roar of the waterfall was growing louder and louder, fortunately, for it seemed the dog-demon was growling some obscenities that would have scarred young Shippo's ears.

The leaf cast a shadow over Inu-yasha and he looked up, fangs bared. "Kill!" he howled, attempting to swim away from the waterfall and claw at the leaf at the same time.

Kagome leaned over the edge of the leaf, holding out his sword for him to grab onto. Inu-yasha made a grab for the nicked blade, missed, tried again, and caught it. As soon as the blade touched him, his eyes faded from red to yellow and the stripes on his face disappeared.

The sopping wet hanyou glared balefully up at Kagome, suspended in the air as the fox-demon directed his giant leaf back to the river bank. "I hate being wet," he said miserably. 

Kagome giggled. He looked so funny, trying to glare through the dripping white hair that clung to his face. Especially since her red bandana was still wrapped around his head.

Inu-yasha narrowed his eyes more as his feet finally touched solid ground. "It's not _funny_, wench..." He trailed off when she gasped in horror and pointed at his leg.

He looked down, noticing for the first time how much his ankle stung. The demon that had pulled him from Kirara still clung tenaciously to his leg... or at least, it's head did. The woman's red eyes looked up almost sheepishly at him as he stared down at it. The teeth dug in a little deeper.

Inu-yasha laughed, surprising Kagome and Shippo. He continued laughing as he ripped the demon's head from his ankle and picked the shard out of it's forehead with a claw, flicking it almost nonchalantly to Kagome as the demon's head dissolved into droplets of water.

"Come on..." he said, still chuckling softly. '"Let's get the rest of those shards."

...

Shippo, Sango, and Miroku sat on the grass, watching Inu-yasha and Kagome dive for shards. The remains of the other two demons had been swept over the falls, and the two Shikon shards they had held now lay on the bottom of the pool of water that the waterfall emptied into.

Sango cradled Kirara carefully in her arms, the little demon-cat's hind leg wrapped tightly in gauze. Seeing as how the flying fire cat was out of commission, the group had floated down on Shippo's leaf, marveling at the great height of the waterfall on the way. It would have been quite a drop if Inu-yasha had gone over the falls with the demons, and not one he would readily have recovered from.

"There's the last one!" Kagome said, yelling to be heard over the pounding of the waterfall behind them. Inu-yasha muttered something about "stupid bloody waterfalls," took a deep breath, and dove down to scoop the shard off the pool's rocky bed.

Kagome stood in the shallow water, hoping Miroku wouldn't notice how much her wet uniform clung to her. A whistle from shore, followed shortly by a sturdy _whack_, told her no such luck.

Inu-yasha surfaced, shaking his head and sending water flying everywhere. He studied the shard in his hand, stealing a glance at Kagome. _Could this be it? The last shard? _He knew he should take it to Kagome, to fuse to the rest of the Jewel, but he couldn't make his feet move. 

If he gave her the shard, if the Jewel was completed, she'd go back through the well, and he'd be alone and empty again. He wouldn't see her smile, wouldn't smell her enticing scent, hell, he wouldn't even get to argue with her anymore. 

Oh gods... he hated this, this wrenching, sinking feeling in his gut. Why? Why did she always have to make him feel this way?

It was her fault he felt like this. Because she was going to leave, he knew it. After all, why should she stay? She didn't know that he couldn't sleep without her nearby, that he savored every little smile and touch of her hand, that... that he loved her. All she knew was what he told her... that she was ugly, useless, and weak. Everything he said to her made her cry, because he could never find the words to tell her how much she meant to him. His insides wrenched again.

And why would she want _him_, anyways? He was nothing but a worthless hanyou, an abomination, a mix of demon and human. Part animal. His ears twitched violently as painful memories of his childhood sprung to life in his mind. The taunts. The looks. The whispers, loud enough for his sensitive ears to hear. _Animal_.

"Hey... Inu-yasha... are you okay?"

Inu-yasha looked up, snapping back to the present as Kagome's scent approached. She treaded water next to him, gazing at the tiny shard in his palm. Her expression was pained.

"I'm fine," he snapped, much more harshly than he'd intended. Kagome paled and sighed. She reached out her hand for the shard, and Inu-yasha felt an electric thrill, as always, as her fingers brushed his skin. It did nothing to alleviate his inner turmoil, however, and his heart sank lower as blinding light crashed down around them. _It's happening._

With the light came a wind that tugged the last three shards and the jewel from Kagome's grasp, twirling the four shining pieces faster and faster until they bonded with a crack of violent energy.

Kagome and Inu-yasha gasped for breath, hearing their companions' cries from shore, struggling to stay afloat as the shock wave washed over them. As suddenly as they came, the light and winds dissipated, and the Shikon Jewel, perfect and spherical, floated down slowly to rest in Kagome's hand.

The two figures in the pool of water stood stock still, facing one another, both human and hanyou staring in shock at the tiny gem that rested in her palm. Slowly, they raised their heads and looked at each other.

_Now's the part where he asks for the Jewel..._ Kagome braced herself for heartbreak as he opened his mouth. But then he closed it again, blinking several times, and looked straight in her eyes. His deep amber eyes were soulful and searching, for just a moment, and then he turned silently and stroked back to shore.

_I can't deal with this now,_ Inu-yasha thought as he left Kagome shivering in the pool, night falling swiftly in the sky. _I need time to think..._ _Just a little more time._

...

_I don't want to leave you_

_even though I have to_

_I don't want to love you_

_oh, I still do_

_~*~_

**Author's Note: **Aaaaaangst!!! Poor Inu-baby. Finally, the jewel is completed! But there's still nine more chapters and an epilogue to go... and don't worry, the fluff is coming, but it'll be a while yet. First I must angst you all to death!!!

Ruzena - Yeah, I'm evil. So you've caught on... Now I'm just trying to remember how many other cliffhangers I put in this fic...

  


**Coming up next:** The Shikon Jewel is finally finished. Can Inu-yasha and Kagome work it out, or is it too late for either of them? Find out in Chapter 7!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inu-yasha or the Cranberries. If I did, I would be filthy rich.

  


**Previously in our fic:** The jewel is finished, but certain important decisions still need to be made...

  


**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 7** Chapter Song: _Put Me Down - _The Cranberries

_Oh, this land in which we live_

_where people love and are meant to forgive_

_and you always prove me wrong_

_~*~_

"So, the Jewel is really complete now?"

The group nodded dumbly in response to Kaede's question. They sat gathered around her fire, the glow flickering warmly over the dark hut.

The journey back to Kaede's village had been painfully silent. Even Shippo, normally bouncy, had noticed the palpable tension in the air and was subdued by it. Unspoken questions lay on everyone's lips.

Inu-yasha sulked in a shadowy corner of the shack.. He had hardly spoken three sentences since they defeated the demon sisters.

Kagome glanced sadly at him every few seconds, constantly fingering the gem at her throat.

Miroku massaged his own palm absently, fingers feeling the absence of the void over and over again.

Sango stroked Kirara's fur, frowning and sighing frequently, very unlike her.

Kaede glanced around the hut, taking in the anxious faces, the secret glances, the sighs badly hidden as yawns. What had happened on this journey, she didn't know, but she knew if she didn't ask what everyone wanted to know, they would all mope around here until the end of time.

"So, what do you plan to do next?"

Kagome winced. She'd been avoiding this. "I suppose... I'll give Inu-yasha the Jewel and head back to my own time," she sighed, not daring to glance at Inu-yasha now. To her left, she heard Shippo whimper, and Kagome hung her head in shame. 

Kaede turned to the hanyou, his face barely visible in the shadows, half-hidden in his long mane of hair.

"And what do you plan to do, Inu-yasha?"

Inu-yasha was silent for a second. Kagome's words had twisted like a knife in his chest. He felt he might be sick. _She really is. She's leaving._

But if any expression crossed his face, noone could see it. "Feh. What do you care, old woman?" he spat viciously.

"I care greatly," Kaede retorted, her wrinkled face becoming hardset. "The fate of the Jewel is of the utmost importance to me." _And the fate of Kagome_, she added as an afterthought, looking at the girl's sullen face.

Inu-yasha stood suddenly. He really did feel like he might be sick. He could almost smell the anxiety in the room, it was overpowering. He wanted to be alone.

_Alone... but you're always alone,_ the voice in his head hissed. _Or at least you will be once Kagome goes through the well. She'll be happier there anyways, rather than here with you, half-breed._ The knife in his heart twisted a little more.

"Inu-yasha?" Kaede asked, worry tinging her voice. He realized he'd been standing there in silence for a while now.

"It's no business of yours what I do! Just leave me alone, hag." He left hurriedly, shoving aside the bamboo curtain that led outside and making for the forest.

Kagome stood up. "I... I have to go after him," she explained, her voice breaking suddenly. She paled and covered her mouth with her hand, then rushed out of the hut.

Shippo started sniffling. "Kagome's leaving us?" Sango and Miroku looked away, flinching. They knew there was little that could be done now. If only Inu-yasha had had a little more time to convince her to stay... or the slightest idea how... but it was too late.

...

Inu-yasha had intended to go sit in the Goshinboku, as was his usual, but he had to pass the well to get there. The residual scent of Kagome that lingered around the well caught his attention and now he stood staring at it, the wind blowing his hair lazily around.

Another, fresher scent wafted by on the breeze and he turned as Kagome fought through the thick grass to reach him.

Kagome quailed at the sight of the hanyou standing, fists clenched, gazing down at the well. The moonlight that shone down on them turned his white hair into molten silver and made his honey-colored eyes glisten. _He's so... beautiful..._ The tears she'd been keeping back on the walk here threatened to rise again._ I don't want to leave him._

"Inu-yasha..." she started, struggling to keep the shakiness out of her voice. She knew he hated it when she cried.

"Couldn't wait, huh?" he said bitterly, not looking at her.

"What?"

"You couldn't wait to go home, could you? Is that why you're here?" He snarled and kicked the well. 

"No! That's not..."

He looked her in the eye then. "Then what _do _you want, Kagome?!"

_I want you! _Her heart screamed. "I... I want you to be happy." She pulled her necklace off over her head and held it out towards him. "With this, you can wish for Kikyo back. Give her a real body, and a soul, and you two can live your life just like you planned to fifty years ago."

Inu-yasha stared at her hand for a moment, seeing the Shikon Jewel dangling from it. Kagome breathed deeply, amazed that she had gotten through that speech without a single sob. She'd practiced it the whole way here.

Inu-yasha scowled suddenly. With a snarl, he knocked the jewel from her hand and she had to dig for it in the grass.

_So_ _that's all she thinks of me? That I do this only to restore Kikyo to life? Can't she tell that I care for her? Doesn't... doesn't she feel the same way, even just a little?_ He could smell the scent of Kagome's tears, thick and cloying in the still night air.

"Inu-yasha..." she said, holding the tears back as best she could, "I don't understand! Isn't this what you wanted? I thought..."

"You don't know _what _I think!" he snapped, cutting her off. "You don't know what I want, Kagome, and you'll _never _understand. So fine! Just go home! I don't need you here anymore anyways."

Now the tears started to come. "Inu-yasha..." she sobbed, her fist clenched tightly around the jewel.

"Go _home! I don't need you!"_ he screamed, then bodily picked her up and tossed her down the well. She vanished into the darkness, speeding five centuries forward in time.

_ "_I don't need you, I don't need you, I don't need you..." He repeated to himself like a mantra, hoping that if he said it enough times it would be true. Inu-yasha covered his face with shaking hands and sunk down into the grass. _I don't need you, Kagome..._

...

Kagome hissed in pain as she slammed into the bottom of the well in her own time. For a while she just lay there in a crumpled heap, sobbing into the cold, hard dirt. 

Finally she raised her head and stood shakily, wincing at her aching muscles. The night wind cut cruelly through her clothes as she climbed out of the well.

She shut the door on the wellhouse, and her sorrow gave way to sudden anger. "Inu-yasha, you bastard!" she screamed at the silent walls of the shrine. "I hate you! You hear me? _I hate you_!" She flicked the tears away, and became aware that the Shikon Jewel was still in her hand. _The well is still open._

Her eyes narrowed_. It doesn't matter because I'm never going back. Ever._

Moments later, she was in her room, picking up the phone and dialing a number. "Yes, Hojo?... I'm glad I caught you... About that dance tomorrow night..."

...

_Oh, and why do you think I go_

_because you know it can never be so_

_and you always prove me wrong_

_because you're always putting me down_

_~*~_

**Author's Note: **The sadness! Oh! But I swear it's an InuKag, wait and see. You reviewers are all the best! I can't believe that this many people like my story! Wheeee! *feels loved*

kitsunefire - Yes, the title becomes more important in upcoming chapters... like, say, the next three.

Valese - In the anime, it's translated 'Kilala,' but in the original manga (which I base all my writings off of), it's 'Kirara.' So they both work. 

It's because in Japan, they have no letter 'L' and use 'R' instead. So R = R and L = R, making it tough for American translators to know which letter they meant to use in the first place.

FukashiOni - yeah, they are idiots, but I'm sorry... I intend to drag out the drama as long as humanly possible. No fluff yet. It's because, as established in previous chapters, I'm evil. 

  


**Coming up next:** A confrontation with Shippo goes too far... and Kikyo finally comes calling (what, you thought I'd leave her out of this fic?). What will happen? Find out in Chapter 8!


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I can claim neither Inu-yasha nor Eve Six as my own. *neurotic eye-twitch* But I really, really wanna.

  


**Previously in our fic: **Confused by his turbulent emotions, an angry Inu-yasha literally throws Kagome down the well and back to her own era. And this time, Kagome doesn't want to come back...

  


**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 8** Chapter Song: _Girlfriend_ - Eve Six

_You're really gone, girlfriend_

_...where's the pair... broken_

_are you aware that I'm missing you_

~*~

"How could you!?" Shippo screamed, launching himself angrily at the dog-demon. "You just threw her in?!" Tears streamed down his chubby face, leaving his usually sparkling green eyes dull and lifeless.

Inu-yasha easily fended off the enraged kitsune's attacks. "Listen, brat... she wanted to go, alright?! You all heard her last night! She was leaving anyways!" He held the little demon at arm's length and looked to Miroku, Sango, and Kaede for backup.

He was met with cold, angry stares from all three of them.

"That's no excuse, Inu-yasha, and you know it," Sango said icily, crossing her arms.

Inu-yasha's mouth worked soundlessly for a second. "But she was going to leave m... us anyways! She said so! So all I did was..."

Miroku stood up suddenly, face contorted with rage. "All you _did_ was scream at her, because _you_ couldn't face the fact that she might leave! Maybe instead of yelling at her, you could have dropped your guard for just _one second _and told Lady Kagome how you really felt!"

"How I feel about Kagome is none of your business, monk!" Inu-yasha growled dangerously, his temper flaring. He shook the struggling kitsune roughly as Shippo windmilled his little arms at him. "It was my decision, damn it, and I made it, so just butt out!"

"It wasn't your decision, baka, it was Kagome's!" Shippo shrieked, finally wrestling free from Inu-yasha's grip. "You just made it for her!" 

Shippo's tears were coming harder now. "Did you even think about us? We care about her too! If you hadn't screamed at her then she might have stayed! She'll _never _come back now, stupid!"

The thin hold Inu-yasha had been keeping on his temper finally snapped. How dare the brat blame him! Kagome had wanted to leave!

"What do you care, baka? Grow up! Kagome _isn't _your mother, kitsune! Your mother is _dead_!!!"

The effect his words had was immediate. Miroku flinched and looked away. Sango gasped in horror and clapped a hand to her mouth. Even Inu-yasha knew he had gone too far and he stared at the little fox-demon, who stood shaking and horrified, mouth open, tears of grief coursing down his tiny face.

Inu-yasha's anger deflated as quickly as it had come. _How could I have said that... I didn't mean to..._ "Sh... Shippo..." he stammered, his eyes wide, reaching for the kid.

Shippo screamed in rage and struck Inu-yasha with all the force his little body could muster. This time, Inu-yasha didn't even attempt to block it, wincing as blood began to flow from the scratch marks on his cheek.

The dog-demon stumbled away as Shippo collapsed in tears on the hut floor. Inu-yasha glanced at the shocked faces that stared at him.

"I... I'm sorry..." Inu-yasha grabbed what he'd come for - Kagome's pack - and bolted.

...

He ran to the forest, pack and bike slung over his shoulder, disgusted with himself. He'd lost his own mother around Shippo's age. It had been the worst thing in his young life. Shippo didn't need reminding of his dead parents... not now...

Inu-yasha skidded to a stop at the well and lifted off the rock he'd placed on top of it the night before. He dropped the bike down. It never hit bottom, already having made the journey to Kagome's wellhouse.

He made to toss the pack in, too, but Kagome's lingering scent stopped him. Glancing around to make sure no one saw, he slowly opened the pack and withdrew Kagome's bandana - the one she had tied around his ears in the last battle. He held it to his nose and breathed in, then tied it around his belt as he tossed the pack over his shoulder into the well.

With a grunt, he replaced the rock over the well. _Just in case... _he thought.

He sighed and hung his head. "Gods... why do I screw everything up? First Kagome, now Shippo..."

"You forgot _me_," said a voice behind him. He whirled.

"Kikyo..."

"It seems you're always forgetting me, Inu-yasha," she continued, her voice listless and calm. A few soul stealers fluttered by her. It seems she'd come from downwind, otherwise he would have noticed her approach.

"I thought once Naraku was gone, you would come to me... so I waited, and waited, and now I find you here, pacing and talking to yourself." Her sharp miko eyes fell on the wisp of cloth tied at his side. She smirked as she read the power aura that still lingered around it.

"It's her, isn't it? That child is the one causing you this pain?"

Inu-yasha winced. "No, no... it was... my fault..."

"A lot of things are your fault, Inu-yasha. Like my death," Kikyo said bitterly. Inu-yasha paled at her words and looked into the dead priestess' face. It was funny how he could no longer see the woman he'd fallen in love with in those eyes. They were cold and lifeless and dead, not brimming with compassion and understanding like he remembered.

She stepped closer and lifted his chin, cooly noting the scratch marks on his face that were only now beginning to heal.

"So, even those you consider friends have turned against you now. Haven't I told you? No one trusts a demon."

He jerked away from her cold, clammy touch. "Kikyo..."

"You're an animal, Inu-yasha, and not even friendship, not even _love_ will change that. I thought it could, once... Naraku proved to me fifty years ago that I was wrong."

"I'm not an animal!" Inu-yasha said, desperation creeping into his voice.

"You are, Inu-yasha. Or have you forgotten? Maybe Naraku was the one who ripped me apart that day fifty years ago, but _you _were the one who decimated my village in your rage. You crippled villagers and ripped apart homes. You blinded my sister, Kaede."

The statement hit him like a ton of bricks. He staggered. Kaede... the little girl who had tried to stop him from leaving the shrine with the stolen jewel... he vaguely remembered knocking her aside, hard, and a beam swinging down as she crumpled to the ground... had she screamed in pain as he'd leapt away laughing, not caring to look back?

_That old, one-eyed hag... I never asked how she was blinded in that eye... and never once did she blame me..._

"But... but I didn't kill anyone..." he said meekly. Had he? How many other villagers were injured that day because of him?

Kikyo smirked. "You see, Inu-yasha? You can't fight what you are. You can't change. Now... I grow tired of waiting. It is time. Come to hell with me, Inu-yasha..."

Another memory seeped into his mind as the priestess reached out her hand.

_"You and I are the same, Inu-yasha. You too fight your humanity."_

_ "I'm not like you."_

_ "No... I suppose... you're not."_

_ "Do you think I'm human?!"_

_ "You are! Half human, at least."_

Kikyo's hand touched his, icy as death. "Stop it!" he screamed, knocking her hand away. "I'm not an animal! You were the only one who believed that, once... What... what happened to you, Kikyo? You didn't use to be like this..."

"You happened to me, Inu-yasha," she stated simply, her shoulders sagging in defeat, cradling her stinging hand.

"You're not the woman I fell in love with," Inu-yasha said warily, backing away.

"You won't come with me, will you? Just one more broken promise between us..." The ground around her began to sink.

"Kikyo!" he yelled. " What are you doing?!"

The miko looked sadly up at him, hardly visible through the soul snatchers that now swirled about her. "I'm going to hell, with or without you, Inu-yasha."

"Please... Kikyo... can't you be at peace?" Inu-yasha pleaded as she sank further and further into the yawning pit.

She smiled wanly. "I executed you for a crime you were innocent of, Inu-yasha. There was never any hope of salvation for me."

Inu-yasha watched in horror as Kikyo descended into blackness, her silvery daimyosho whirling around her until she disappeared from sight.

He leapt back as the ground clapped back together, leaving only a small scar in the hill.

"Kikyo!!!"

...

Kagome paused in her makeup application. Something felt off... suddenly her body tensed in excrutiating agony.

She opened her mouth to scream, but the pain passed as quickly as it had come. She put her hand to her swiftly beating heart and leaned against her desk. What was that? It was like someone was ripping her very soul...

A demon? She glanced out the window at the wellhouse. Surely not... Inu-yasha?

She threw on a coat and flew down the steps, out the door, across the lawn and had thrown open the wellhouse door before she remembered she was supposed to hate him now.

"He's not even here anyways. Bastard..." She glanced into the well and choked back a sob as she saw her bike lying haphazardly on the bottom of the well, her pack thrown carelessly on top of it, the contents strewn across the dirt floor.

So he had just tossed them in. Didn't even want to hop through and deliver them himself... "I hate you, Inu-yasha," she whispered to noone in particular, then left to finish getting ready for the Spring Formal. Hojo would be picking her up in an hour and she didn't want to be late...

...

_But I can't run to you no more_

_to catch me when I'm falling_

_I know I have to let you go_

_but I will not be broken, no, I will not be broken_

_but keep the slowly fading memories..._

_~*~_

**Author's Note:** In case no one caught that, Kagome felt pain because Kikyo's soul (which is partly hers) had just entered hell. I wasn't sure I made that clear enough. ...... Yaaaaay! I killed off Kikyo! Stupid zombie miko had it coming. I believe this clears up all those InuKik questions my reviewers had... (like I'd ever write InuKik. InuKag forever!!!) This _will_ be an InuKag.

No, I'm not sure my thing with Kaede's eye is accurate, but she _did _lose that eye sometime during Inu-yasha's raid on the village, I know that. It's a fanfic, I'm taking creative liberties, so there.

For those who don't know - I wrote this _entire _fic before I even posted the first chapter. I upload one chapter every day, so there will be an update every 24 hours!

  


**Coming up next:** He's lost Kikyo forever. Upon returning to the village, Inu-yasha receives something unexpected... forgiveness, from an unlikely source. Can he gain the courage to take back the woman he loves? Find out in Chapter 9!


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Nothing, okay!?

  


**Previously in our fic:** After our hanyou has a horrible fight with Shippo, Kikyo finally comes for his soul... then descends to hell without it.

**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 9** Chapter Song: _How_ - The Cranberries

_Now, you're just walking away_

_when you said you always would stay_

_never before, never again_

_~*~_

Inu-yasha walked dazedly back to the village. Kikyo was gone. Kagome was gone. And he couldn't help but think that Kikyo was right.

_I am an animal_. _I ruin everyone and everything that I touch..._

He stopped in front of Kaede's hut. He had to tell her about her elder sister's descent to eternal damnation. He owed the woman that much. No... he owed her much more. All this time, she'd never told him that he was the reason she was blind in one eye.

He smelled Shippo, Miroku and Sango inside the hut. As well as the scent of tears. He hung back, ashamed. He'd forgotten about the awful things he'd said to the kitsune. How could he face him again?

He peeked in a window and breathed a sigh of relief. 

The fox was asleep, having cried himself to exhaustion in Sango's arms, it seemed like.

The taijiya petted his coppery hair absently, akwardly cradling the child in her arms. She looked up as the bamboo curtain slid aside quietly and Inu-yasha stepped inside, eyes on the floor.

"Inu-yasha..." she began in an angry whisper, laying the sleeping child on a futon. "What do _you _want... gods, what happened?" she said as she caught the look on his face.

Miroku and Kaede looked up from the fire at Sango's shocked tone.

Inu-yasha fixed his eyes on Kaede, opened his mouth, closed it, and looked at the floor again.

"What's happened, Inu-yasha? Sit down and tell me," said Kaede, her face filling with foreboding at the haunted look in the hanyou's golden eyes.

The dog-demon glanced nervously at the sleeping kitsune before kneeling in front of the fire. "It's... it's your sister, Kaede... she's gone..."

Kaede sighed. "I thought I felt something... Was she.. was she appeased in the end?"

Inu-yasha flinched as if struck. "I'm sorry... she said she had no hope for salvation and then she just... sank into the ground." He wouldn't meet her eyes as he said this, seemingly interested in a speck of dirt by the fire.

The old miko scooted closer and put a hand on his shoulder. "That was not all my sister said, was it? I know you well, Inu-yasha, and never have you been meek."

Inu-yasha clenched his fists. "She said... I was an animal." He squeezed his eyes shut. They'd called him that when he was a whelp, in his village. The other children, their parents, everyone. Out of all the names he'd ever been called - _halfling, bastard, freak, half-breed, abomination _- that was the one that had always hurt the most.

"Oh, Inu-yasha..." Sango breathed. She had never seen him in so much pain. Kikyo's words must have struck him deep.

Kaede took his hands in her old, wrinkled ones and opened her mouth to speak. The young half-demon beat her to it.

"Why didn't you tell me, Kaede? All this time and not once did you tell me..." He reached a claw up to touch the patch that covered her one sightless eye. "Why didn't you ever blame me?"

Sango and Miroku watched in silence, taken aback not only by Inu-yasha's actions but by this new information. They had assumed Kaede didn't want to talk about it, so had never asked... Inu-yasha had been the one who...? Without knowing it?

Kaede smiled, her wrinkled face warm in the firelight. "Because I forgave you, Inu-yasha. That's what friends do."

"I'm your friend?" he stammered. "...You forgive me?"

She nodded at the stunned hanyou. He couldn't seem to find any more words to say, so the four just sat in silence for a while.

_Forgiveness_... Inu-yasha thought. Never in all his years had he imagined that a human could forgive him. He glanced at Shippo as the fox demon whimpered in his sleep. He knew now what he had to do... he had to make things right. 

Inu-yasha jerked his head towards the kitsune. "How is he?" he whispered.

"He's still pretty upset," Miroku said. "He's so young... I mean, I knew his parents must have been dead, but I never thought..."

"I didn't mean to," Inu-yasha whispered miserably. "I just lost my temper."

"We know, Inu-yasha," said Sango. "We forgive you, too."

"Shippo, on the other hand..." Miroku said warningly.

Inu-yasha stood up. "He doesn't have to forgive me, because I'm going to fix it. I'm going to do something right for once."

Miroku stood up, too, as he understood what Inu-yasha was getting at. "Listen, you can't just go marching back and expect her to drop everything for you..."

"I'm not doing this for me! I'm doing this for Shippo. I owe the runt that." With that, he whirled and marched out the door.

"I don't understand!" whispered Sango. "Where is he going? What is he doing for Shippo?"

Miroku stared after his friend. "He's going to get Lady Kagome back."

...

Inu-yasha cursed loudly as he landed on something hard, bruising a rather tender region. Kagome had not bothered to remove her bike or pack from the well, making the floor down there rather cluttered.

He leapt out of the well, trying to figure out something he could say to her ahead of time. It was already twilight here in Kagome's time, and the temple grounds were dark and silent as he emerged from the wellhouse.

He sniffed. There were so many scents here... pollution, temple patrons, Kagome's family, that he couldn't tell whether she was here or not. 

Although he'd never admit it, he hated being in the future when Kagome wasn't by his side, explaining her various muh-sheens to him. He moved warily towards her house, keeping an eye out for her crazy grandfather... The last thing he needed right now was the old geezer attempting to curse him into oblivion...

He saw Kagome's bedroom window and leapt up, balancing carefully on the narrow sill. Her room was dark, and she wasn't in her bed. He moved to open the window and found it was locked. 

His heart sank somewhere to the depths of his stomach. She never locked the window, had never tried to keep him out.

Beneath him, he heard the house door open and light poured across the lawn from the open doorway.

"Here Buyo... din-din..." Kagome's younger brother, Sota, put a bowl of some sort of awful-smelling kibble on the step. 

Inu-yasha froze, not wanting to be caught. No such luck. Kagome's rotund pet cat wobbled across the lawn towards the food, looked straight up at Inu-yasha, swished it's tail, and meowed.

Sota glanced up. "Inu-yasha? What are you doing here?" He put his hands on his hips and stared up, the pose making him look very much like Kagome. Taking in the hanyou's precarious position outside his sister's window, he smiled.

"She isn't here right now. She went to a dance with Hojo." Whatever Sota was expecting as a reply, it wasn't to have Inu-yasha come crashing down to the ground, glaring vehemently.

"What?!" the hanyou snapped, not bothering to bite back the growl that rose from his throat.

Sota quailed in the face of Inu-yasha's jealousy but stood his ground. If he was ever gonna get his hero together with Kagome... "Y'know, she was real upset when she came home yesterday. What happened, huh? She won't tell me."

He watched Inu-yasha's face fall and his suspicions were confirmed. "Well, whatever it was, I'm sure you could make it up to her. Just wait 'til she gets back home, she'll be so surprised to see you here..."

"Where's this dance? At her... uh... skool?" He knew, at least, where that was...

"Well... yeah..." Sota stammered, not liking the glint in Inu-yasha's eye. "But I think maybe you should wait here... Inu-yasha?"

But he was already gone.

...

_You're alone in your world_

_you're alone in your face_

_how_

_you said you never would leave me alone_

_~*~_

**Author's Note:** So many reviews! My heart soars. I loved writing this chap, because I love interactions between Inu-yasha and Sota. Plus, there was a cameo by Buyo, the bestest fat cat ever.

Heather - thanks for the info! It's good to know. Keep reading!

Seikkyokuka - An inu plushie? Yaaaaaay! *huggles* Much gratitude.

Tena Davis - Well, you'll just have to keep reading now won'tcha? There's 6 more chaps and an epilogue to go still. And keep reviewing! It's great to hear from you folks.

  


**Coming up next: **Inu-yasha goes to retrieve Kagome from her date with Hojo. Can he make her come back? Or will jealousy get in the way? Find out in Chapter 10!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Oh, come, now... if I owned Inu-yasha, he and Kagome would be married with pups by now... oh, and I don't own Eve Six.

  


**Previously in our fic: **Inu-yasha swears to make amends to Shippo by bringing Kagome back, and heads to her school dance to retrieve her.

**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 10** Chapter Song: _Not Gonna Be Alone Tonight_ - Eve Six

_I'm not gonna let you go this time_

_not gonna be alone tonight_

_you can try to break me down or start a fight _

_but I'm gonna get you, gonna win_

~*~

Kagome smiled warmly as Hojo returned with two glasses of punch. The evening had been perfect so far - a limo ride, a nice dinner with her friends and their dates, pleasant conversation, and finally the dance.

She glanced around the school's large gymnasium, which had been transformed for the evening. Students in formalwear milled around the dancefloor under muted lights, streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. Little white lights twinkled everywhere, and even the tables were decorated with silver tablecloths and little white candles.

Her friends had finally ditched her for the dancefloor, and now that Hojo was back with drinks, they were alone together for the first time that evening.

Hojo noticed this as well, blushing as he sat down next to her. "Kagome... I wanted to tell you how pretty you look tonight."

She blushed and straightened out her shimmery deep blue dress. "Oh, this old thing... it's nothing, really..." Of course, she'd spent hours getting ready... bathing, drying, curling, dressing, painting, topping it all off with strapping on her painful heels... _Sheesh, the things we do for you men..._

"I like your necklace. It's really unique. Don't they sell those at your shrine?" said Hojo, reaching out to touch the pendant around her neck.

Kagome nervously wrapped her hand around the Shikon Jewel. "Yeah, something like that." She hadn't felt comfortable just leaving the jewel at home, so had been forced to wear it tonight.

"I, um, I got you something today," said Hojo, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a package.

_Oh, not again... another gift..._ "Smelling salts... how nice... Thank you, Hojo." She dropped them in her purse, trying to look grateful.

"Actually, I got you something else. Those I meant to give to you a couple days ago but you ran off first." He pulled another package, a thin velvet box, from his jacket pocket. "This... this is what I got you."

Kagome opened the box with trembling fingers to reveal a shimmery tennis bracelet. The symbol for love, 'ai,' was engraved in the gold. "Oh... Hojo... it's beautiful! It must have cost you a fortune!" She was rather taken aback that it had no medicinal value... that was a first for Hojo.

"Nah, my dad owns the jewelry store. It's okay."

Kagome suddenly felt a strange prickling at the back of her mind. _What?_ She shook it off as nervousness. Hojo lifted the bracelet from the box and fastened it around her wrist. She noticed he didn't relinquish her hand when he was finished. Her mind prickled again.

_Oh... why? _she chided herself. _Why can't you just like Hojo? He's so nice, and he's definitely handsome..._ But she knew why. He wasn't Inu-yasha.

_Damn it! I was _this _close to going through a single evening without thinking... of... him... Oh my god..._ Her mind prickled again, more insistently this time, and now she recognized what it was. Her demon-sense. Inu-yasha was here, and he was getting closer.

"Hojo, could you get me another drink?" she asked sweetly, wanting to get away from him.

"But you haven't finished your first one."

Kagome grabbed the glass and gulped it down in one swallow, eyes tearing as the punch bubbled down her throat. "Please, Hojo?"

Wide-eyed, Hojo took the proffered glass and headed for the refreshments table. Kagome took the opportunity to bolt for the gymnasium door.

The prickling got stronger as she rounded the corner and saw him coming up the darkened hallway, sniffing madly and jumping at the loud crashes of music coming from the gym doors.

She bristled and ran to intercept him, grabbing his arm and shoving him back against a locker.

"Inu-yasha! What are you doing here?" she hissed, choosing to ignore the hanyou's pained look.

He opened his mouth to retort, but got a good look at her first. "Wh... what are you wearing?" He reached out a hand and fingered the thin strap of her dress, tugging it further up her shoulder to hide the skin she was showing.

She blushed and moved the dress back to it's original place. "It's a dress, Inu-yasha, and yes, it's supposed to be that low."

His nose quivered as he breathed in her scent. "And what is that smell?" He caught her wrists and brought them to his face, sniffing at the perfume she wore. He wrinkled his nose in distaste at the strong scent. There was more on her neck, too...

Kagome yanked her head away as he moved to sniff at her throat, twisting her wrists from his grasp. "Inu-yasha! Answer my question! What are you doing here?"

"I came to take you back home, what do you think I came for!?"

"Inu-yasha..." she sighed. "This _is_ my home. I don't live in your time, remember?"

"No! You belong with m... us! You can't just walk away from us! You think you can just show up and change all of our lives and then prance off..." He grabbed for her wrist, intending to drag her all the way back home. He'd make her see...

She evaded his grasp and backed away. "I didn't just _prance off!_ You threw me back here! Or did you forget already? You said you didn't need me anymore and then just tossed me down the well like so much garbage!" Her eyes were flashing now.

"You can't walk away from this, Kagome!"

"_Watch me_." She turned on her heel and marched back up the hallway.

"Shippo misses you." His words were so quiet she almost didn't hear them. She stopped and turned to face him again.

"And Sango misses you, and the monk misses you, and Kaede misses you, and..." _I miss you_. He looked her directly in the eye then, trying to convey all the longing he felt, willing her to understand the words he couldn't say.

Kagome was shaking. "Inu-yasha... I can't, okay? I'm sorry that Shippo and the others are hurting, but I can't go back! I don't belong there."

"Please, Kagome..."

"I have to go, Inu-yasha. Just go back." She turned to leave.

"NO!" He darted forward with demonic speed and caught her wrist. His claws grated on something metal.

Inu-yasha's eyes narrowed. "What's this?" he asked suspiciously, hooking a claw around the bracelet Hojo had given her.

"Inu-yasha, let go..." The hanyou sniffed at the bracelet and growled. He read the engraved character and recognized it instantly, his eyes flashing.

"Hobo gave you this?" Inu-yasha snarled, baring his fangs at the thought of that weakling human touching Kagome. _Love_, the bracelet said. How dare that human boy even think...

"Let go, Inu-yasha!" Kagome said more urgently, not liking the jealous rage she saw in the dog-demon's face. 

"Let you go? Back to that human boy? That's what you left me... us for?!" His ears flattened back against his head and he ripped the bracelet from Kagome's wrist. She gasped.

"Kagome? Where did you go?" a voice called down the hallway.

Panic gripped Kagome as she recognized the voice. "No, Hojo, get back inside!"

Hojo ignored her as he took in the scene... Kagome cowering in front of a large man, who was growling in a decidedly unfriendly way. 

"Hey, jerk, leave her alone!" Hojo, the school's top athlete, covered the short distance down the hallway in no time and jumped between the strange man and the horrified girl. 

"No, Hojo, get out of here..." Kagome breathed, trying to shove him away.

"You're in the way, boy!" snarled Inu-yasha, snatching around the boy at Kagome's wrist. Kagome screamed as his claws raked across her arm. 

Hojo stiffened at her cry and karate-kicked Inu-yasha in the stomach with all the muscle he had. Inu-yasha fell to the ground with a 'whoof' noise.

He fell into a patch of moonlight that was streaming through a window and Hojo paused, only now realizing that something was odd about the stranger. Inu-yasha whirled around, snarling, and Hojo fell back as he saw the flashing yellow eyes, claws, and sharp canines.

It all happened in a split second. Before Kagome could yell "sit" or even move, Inu-yasha had slashed Hojo across the chest with his claws. The human boy flew a good ten feet and hit the wall with a sickening thud, falling limply to the ground.

Kagome took a deep breath and screamed. Inu-yasha stumbled back, trembling all over, and looked at the fallen boy, his bloodstained claws, and the terrified Kagome. He could hear other students beginning to run from the other room.

Inu-yasha turned and fled.

...

_Saw her standing in the street in a hat made out of skin_

_underneath a stormy sky like a heroine_

_over me came the feeling that I'd never win_

_she's owning me like a dog to a god_

~*~

**Author's Note:** ......Wow, the drama... I hope this makes Hojo haters happy. I can't believe I wrote this! Thank you to all my reviewers, oh my goodness, I can't believe how many nice reviews I've gotten! Oh, the quips at the beginning and end of the chap are from the 'chapter song.' Got the idea from everstar, go read 'Pieces of Me!' It's real good. I'm updating all the other chaps so that they have song lyrics, as well.

  


**Coming up next:** Inu-yasha has attacked Hojo and even injured Kagome... Can she forgive him? Find out in Chapter 11! 


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Nope. Don't own Inu-yasha (or the band Orgy). You can call off the lawyers now.

  


**Previously in our fic:** Inu-yasha has done the unthinkable - while trying to bring Kagome back to the feudal era, he injured her and attacked Hojo. Now he's fled the scene of the crime.

**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 11** Chapter Song: _Re-creation_ - Orgy

_Your simple pleasures come from someone else's pain_

_the way you like it_

_for you - I've become what you made me_

_~*~_

The rain had started to pour down as the ambulance left, lights whirling and sirens screaming. Kagome sat dazedly in the police car that was taking her home, clutching her bandaged wrist. 

She felt numb all over. She hadn't even found the energy to cry yet. It had taken all she had in her just to answer the policeman's questions.

_"The other students are saying it was a monster that attacked your friend, Ms. Higurashi. We'd like you to tell us what you saw."_

_ "A monster... yeah, it was a monster..."_

What else could she tell them? They could never hope to catch a time-traveling demon. Inu-yasha was probably already back in the Sengoku Jidai.__

Hojo had suffered a concussion and might need a blood transfusion for the five deep gashes across his chest. She had watched them load him into the ambulance, pale and unconcious.

The police car stopped in front of the long steps to her shrine. "Is there gonna be someone waiting at home for you?"the portly officer asked her from the driver's seat.

She nodded mutely and the officer led her up the stairs to her house. 

Her mother was horrified when she opened the door and saw the police officer and her pale, shaken daughter standing in the rain. Kagome remained silent as the officer explained the night's events to her mother, finally leaving Kagome in with a business card if she 'remembered any more details.'

Mrs. Higurashi closed the door and turned to her trembling daughter. Silence passed between them. Kagome knew she should speak, explain, but she couldn't make the words come out.

"What's going on, Kagome? A monster attacked Hojo?" When her daughter continued to stare numbly ahead, she took her arm and led her into the living room, sitting her firmly down on the couch.

"Come on, baby, tell me what happened! You're driving me crazy." She sat next to Kagome and for the first time noticed her bandaged wrist. Ignoring her daughter's weak protests, she unwrapped the gauze and stared in horror at the deep, slanting claw marks. The explanantion hit her and she gasped.

"He did this?" she asked softly. Kagome nodded wordlessly, buried her face in her mother's shoulder, and let the tears finally come.

...

Sota meekly slipped through his sister's bedroom door. The rain pounded down on the roof, drowning out her sobbing. She'd been crying for a very long time now and neither his mother or grandfather would tell him why. He would have just left it alone, but he'd been glancing out the window into the rainy backyard, and seen... well, he had a feeling it might be partly his fault that Kagome was sad.

He hated it when Kagome cried. It made him want to cry, too. She was always so strong... The last time he'd actually seen her cry was at their father's funeral.

He stood there awkwardly for a moment, looking at Kagome lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, tears streaming down her cheeks. She hadn't even bothered to change out of the pretty blue dress she was wearing.

"What is it, Sota?" Kagome said wearily, not moving her gaze from the ceiling.

"What happened, Kagome? Mom won't tell me." He moved to the side of her bed and knelt, resting his chin on the bedspread.

She ruffled his hair. "It's... nothing." She sighed inwardly, knowing her brother practically worshiped Inu-yasha. She couldn't bear to see the look on his face when he found out what his hero had done.

"No, tell me! Please, Kagome, stop treating me like a kid! I want to know, too." He looked so pitiful and sad that she rolled over and hugged him tightly.

"Hojo got hurt at the dance. He's in the hospital." _There... it's only half the truth, but..._

Sota gasped and wrenched away from her. "Inu-yasha hurt Hojo?"

"How did you know Inu-yasha was there?!"

Sota's eyes filled with tears. "Because it's my fault! I told Inu-yasha you two were at the school together. I never thought he would... I just wanted..." The child dissolved in tears and Kagome wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't cry, Sota, you couldn't have known. It's okay, alright? I'm not mad."

"It's my fault!" he whimpered into her shoulder. "Hojo's hurt, and you're sad, and Mom's sad, and Inu-yasha's sad..."

"What?!" Kagome shrieked, snapping the child away from her so she could look into his face.

Sota's eyes widened. "Inu-yasha's sad?" he repeated meekly.

"_Don't tell me..._" she hissed dangerously, "_He's still here?!"_ Sota's eyes darted guiltily to the window, past the pouring rain, to the God Tree.

...

Inu-yasha sat shivering at the base of the ancient tree, the rain soaking through his haori, plastering his bedraggled hair to his face and neck. He was cold and wet and miserable.

There was one upside to the rain, however... it had washed the blood from his nails. He could still smell it, though.

He had heard Kagome come home, heard her muffled sobs, watched the light in her bedroom turn on, but he couldn't make himself move. He felt frozen to the spot. Shocked. He couldn't believe what he'd done... attacked an innocent and defenseless opponent... he'd injured Kagome... no matter how mad she had made him in the past, he had never, _ever_ struck her.

Rain dripped from his nose, eyelashes, and bangs, mixing in with the tears that ran down his face. It only seemed fair that if even the sky wanted to cry tonight, that he should too. He heard a door slam, and footsteps sloshing in the rain. He couldn't smell her, because of the rain, but he knew who it was regardless.

"Inu-yasha?" Kagome said softly, her voice shaking slightly. He struggled to his feet as she approached.

She looked so sad and fragile, still wearing her blue dress, beginning to shiver in the freezing rain. She hadn't bothered to bring a jacket in this weather?

He took a step towards her. "Kagome..."

Her expression hardened suddenly and she slapped him, sharply, across the face. He staggered back.

"_How could you_?!" she sobbed. "_You could have killed him!"_

_ Thank the gods... the boy isn't dead..._ he thought, relieved at the news. "So... H-Hobo's okay?"

"Hou_JO_!" she screamed, shaking with cold and anger. "His name is Houjo! And he's in the hospital, thanks to you!"

"Kagome, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt him." His gaze fell to her bandaged wrist. "I didn't mean to hurt... you..." Inu-yasha reached a hand out to examine her wounds.

She slapped it away. "Don't touch me!" she snapped, her voice venomous, eyes flashing.

He felt like she'd stabbed him through the chest. Was she afraid of him? Tears continued to fall from his eyes, but he was so wet from the rain that Kagome couldn't see them.

"I trusted you, Inu-yasha," she cried, wrapping her arms around herself as the rain poured down on them. "I thought you were different, I thought you'd changed. But I was right when I first met you!"

Inu-yasha was having a flashback to his conversation with Kikyo, only hours before, and knew what was coming. _Please don't say it... I never want to hear that from your lips..._

"You _are _just an animal!"

"Kagome, please don't..." His voice was so choked with pain, he couldn't finish the sentence.

She slapped him again, and she must have put a little miko force behind it, because it knocked him into the mud. "Shut up! I don't want to hear your excuses."

She reached up and ripped the jewel from around her neck, tossing it into the mud at his feet. "If you won't use it for Kikyo, then do what you intended at first. Become a demon. Become an _animal_ just like you've always wanted to. Then you can murder people without that annoying conscience constantly nagging you."

Her voice was so cold and angry... he stared at her, horrified by what she'd just said, his breathing now so ragged that not even the rain could hide the fact that he was crying anymore.

Kagome paled, but her eyes burned with anger and she pointed at the wellhouse with one shaking finger.

"_Go home, boy,_" she said slowly, voice low, exactly as if she was speaking to a dog.

"Kagome, please..." he pleaded, wincing as the salty tears stung the fresh cut on his face.

"Go home!!!" she screamed, then turned and ran back into her house.

Inu-yasha lay on the ground for a few minutes, then, not really knowing what he was doing, grabbed the jewel, ran to the wellhouse, and leapt into the well.

It wasn't until he felt the magic that would fling him 500 years back in time take hold that he realized he had the jewel and he could never go back.

...

_I could've made a wish _

_but it wouldn't come true_

_~*~_

**Author's Note:** This was so hard to write. Poor Inu-baby!!! I was so sad after I wrote this I turned around and wrote my other fic, "You Know You're An Inu-yasha Fan if...," just to make myself smile again. *aaaaaaaaangst*

Trillian - Aaaah! I can't believe you reviewed my story! Reading 'Dance of Life' is what inspired me to write Inu fanfics! You rock. And I'm really sorry for this chapter being so sad.

A random shout-out to Ruzena and Lei Xang just 'cuz you two review me all the time. Yay!

  


**Coming up next: **Shippo confronts an emotionally distraught Inu-yasha, and an ominous decision is made about the jewel... What is Inu-yasha planning to do? Find out in Chapter 12! 


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** ... I really think you get the picture by now. No 'owning' of any kind.

  


**Previously in our fic: **Kagome sends Inu-yasha back to the feudal era after throwing the Shikon Jewel at his feet.

**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 12** Chapter Song: _Friend of Mine - _Eve Six

_Are you feeling that you're on the brink_

_of spilling some red in the sink?_

~*~

As soon as Inu-yasha hit the ground on the other side of the well, he could smell the scent of the one who was awaiting his return. He glanced up into the night sky visible above the well, the shining stars a stark contrast to the rainstorm he had just left in the future.

_Damn it,_ he thought. _I hadn't wanted to face him yet..._ Trying to wipe away the tears and raindrops that still clung to his face, he leapt up and out of the well.

"You were supposed to bring someone back." The kitsune stood, arms crossed, tiny face impassive, blocking the path to the village. 

"Shippo..."

"You screwed it up again, didn't you?" the child asked, trying to look as angry as he felt, but his quivering chin gave it away. "Miroku and Sango told me what you were doing..." 

Inu-yasha hung his head. "I'm sorry, kid. I tried... I really tried..." 

Shippo watched as the older demon slumped to the ground, shoulders shaking, and realized that Inu-yasha was crying. The hanyou looked so heartbroken that all the anger the little kitsune felt vanished. He crept forward and crawled into Inu-yasha's lap, little hands fisting in the hanyou's haori.

Inu-yasha was shocked for a second by this show of affection. He ruffled the kitsune's hair and lifted him up into his arms. Shippo raised his head and looked him in the face, noticing the bleeding scratch on his face.

"I'm sorry, Inu-yasha. I didn't mean to hit that hard..."

Inu-yasha shook his head sadly. "No... Kagome did this." At the fox's shocked expression, he uncurled his fingers and showed Shippo the jewel he held.

"She isn't coming back this time, kid."

Shippo started crying. If Inu-yasha had the completed jewel, that meant the well was closed. The girl he'd come to see as his mother was gone forever now. He felt warm arms wrap around him and he hugged Inu-yasha back. As much as he hate to admit it... the hanyou was the closest thing he had to a father.

"I tried to get her back... for us. I'm so sorry." Inu-yasha suddenly released the kitsune and set him down on the ground, standing up.

Shippo watched in confusion as Inu-yasha looked at the jewel in his hand. The hanyou seemed to come to a decision and turned to him, eyes clouded with pain.

"Listen, kid, there's something I have to do. I don't want you to tell anyone, not Miroku, not Sango, not Kaede. I'm going to be gone... for a while..." 

Inu-yasha knelt and untied something from his belt. It was the bandana he had taken from Kagome's pack before he'd thrown it in the well.

"I want you to have this. To remember her by." He untied Shippo's blue hair ribbon and retied the kitsune's copper hair with the red bandana. Shippo sniffed, wiping his nose. He was still confused.

Inu-yasha stood again and looked at the gem in his hand. Before Shippo could say anything, he swallowed the jewel. Shippo gasped as there was a sudden flash of light, and a tangible surge of energy.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw that Inu-yasha's hair had turned black, his eyes gray, and his ears had disappeared. He was human.

Inu-yasha fixed him with a piercing look. "Tell no one, Shippo. I just... I have to go, alright?" With that, the hanyou-turned-human disappeared into the forest.

Shippo ran back to the village as fast as he could. There was something about the look in Inu-yasha's eyes that bugged him... 

...

Miroku, Sang, and Kaede looked up as the frantic kitsune burst into the hut, his breath coming in giant gasps that made his words inaudible.

"Jewel... well closed... Inu... human..." Sango moved to catch the little youkai as he toppled over, exhausted from his run.

"Shippo, what is it?" Kaede asked as the fox-demon recovered his breath. "I thought you went to wait at the well..."

"I did..." Shippo started.

"Did Inu-yasha come back with Kagome yet?" Miroku asked.

"He came, but..." the kitsune tried again.

"Where did you get that hair ribbon?" said Sango.

"Aaaah! Listen to me!" Shippo shrieked, silencing the others. "Kagome isn't coming back. The well is sealed, and Inu-yasha used the jewel to become human, and now he's taken off and I don't know what he's going to do!"

The room was eerily quiet as Shippo finished his tirade. Everyone was trying to process this information.

Shippo took a shaky breath. "... And I think Inu-yasha needs our help. He... he didn't look so good, and he was acting really strangely..."

"Strange? Like how?" said Miroku suspiciously.

"He was... nice. And he said he was sorry. And... and he was crying."

The three adults exchanged worried glances. That was strange, indeed.

"You said Kagome isn't coming back?" Sango said slowly. "They must have fought... Kagome must have said something... why else would he willingly bring the jewel back and seal the well?"

"What concerns me more," Kaede said, "is that he used the jewel to become human. Wherever he went, Inu-yasha is defenseless without his demon powers. He obviously isn't thinking clearly. We have to find him before something happens. Shippo, in which direction did he go? ... Shippo?"

Shippo had fallen asleep, exhausted from the day's events.

Sango laid him on the futon, fingering the bandana in his hair. She recognized it now as Kagome's. But how did he get it?

She gasped as Miroku grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her outside the hut into the dark street. "What is it, houshi?" she said, snatching her arm away.

"Wake him up. We need to find Inu-yasha as soon as humanly possible."

"But he's tired. He's had a long day... we should let him sleep."

"If my gut is correct... and I hope to Buddha it's not... then this situation with Inu-yasha is much more dire than you think."

"What are you talking about, houshi? Start making sense!" 

"Inu-yasha has lost the two women he loves all in one day. I don't know what's going through his mind right now, but I can only think of one reason that Inu-yasha would choose to become a weak and fragile mortal."

Sango felt a terrible foreboding grip her as she looked into Miroku's somber face. "And what's that?"

"He wants to die."

There was a gasp behind them and they turned to see Shippo standing in the doorway of the hut, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

"Then what are we waiting for?! We have to find him!" the kitsune said.

...

_Friend of mine, stay alive_

_don't you leave me here_

_all alone in the world _

_with a chronic tear_

~*~

**Author's Note: **_Dun-dun-duuuuh!_ *ominous music* So much drama, I swear it must be a soap-opera. And yes, I know it's depressing and sad and Kagome was really mean last chap, but it _is_ an angst fic.

Eternal Moonlight - it actually works either way, Hojo or Houjo, but now that you mention it I've been using both spellings in this fic! I'm sorry, it's horribly confusing.

  


**Coming up next:** Where is Inu-yasha going? Can they find him before it's too late? ...And is the well _really _closed? Find out in Chapter 13!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I'm running out of funny disclaimer quips. Suffice to say, I don't own Inu-yasha (or Linkin Park).

  


**Previously in our fic:** Inu-yasha uses the jewel to become human... but why? Now he's disappeared, and it's up to his friends to find him.

**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 13** Chapter Song: _Run Away_ - Linkin Park

_

I want to run away, never say goodbye

_

_I want to know the truth instead of wondering why_

_~*~_

"Inu-yashaaaaaa!" screamed Shippo from Kirara's back as they flew over the dark forest. They had been searching for hours now, with no sign of the now-human Inu-yasha.

"For a measly human, he sure is good at hiding," quipped Shippo, his hands curled firmly in Kirara's yellow fur.

Sango and Miroku were silent, scanning the forest below for any flash of red through the trees. They had returned to the well at first, and Shippo had attempted to follow Inu-yasha's scent from there, but Inu-yasha had shown unusual presence of mind and stepped into a stream, so that his trail was lost.

Morning was starting to show on the horizon. "Let's face it," Miroku sighed. "Inu-yasha's long gone by now. We'll never find him like this."

"If we don't find him first, some demon might!" Shippo said stubbornly. "He's helpless as a human."

Sango blinked back tears at the kitsune's dedication. "Shippo, I know you want to find him! Believe me, we do too... but Kirara's getting tired. We've been at this for hours! Look, it's almost dawn..."

The first rays of light lit up the forest. Shippo sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "If only Kagome was here... she'd find him in no time with her powers..." He fingered the bandana in his hair as Sango guided Kirara back to the village.

Kaede met them as they landed, concern written on her weathered face. "No luck, eh?"

Sango shook her head. "Not even a trace. He obviously didn't want to be followed." She looked at Miroku, hoping to the gods that the houshi's theory was not correct. They could already be too late.

Kaede sighed. "It can't be helped. If Inu-yasha doesn't want to be found, then there is no way we can hope to find him."

"No!" shrieked Shippo. "We can't just give up! We can't! Inu-yasha needs us! _I_ need him! We have to get him back!"

"Shippo... you have to understand." Sango said soothingly. "There's nothing more we can do. He's already gone. We miss him too, but..."

"Shut up!" the kitsune cried, and shoved past them, running towards the forest.

_Inu-yasha... you stupid... we need you here, I need you here. You can't just leave me with no one! _Shippo thought as he ran wildly through the trees, wincing as branches slapped his face.

He stumbled suddenly into a clearing, lit blindingly by the morning sun, and realized he'd run back to the Bone Eater's Well. He dashed to the well and peered inside, hoping to see Kagome, but finding nothing.

_Stupid_... he thought, sitting against the well._ Stupid Inu-yasha... if Kagome is like my mother, then you're like my father... how could you think you could just leave me? If only Kagome was here, she could bring you back, I know she could. She's the only one you ever listen to._

Without another thought, the kitsune leapt into the well, feeling foolish because he knew it was sealed. Much to his surprise, his bandana began to glow with an eerie light, and then some powerful magic grabbed him and flung him through the well.

...

Inu-yasha sighed and pushed himself back up to his feet, leaning against the tree for a second as he recovered his wind. He had to keep going, no matter how tired this weak human body became.

He'd heard the others searching for him, carefully hiding when he saw the fire-cat fly over through the gaps in the forest ceiling. Shippo, of course, had told... not that he blamed the runt.

His fragile human feet were scratched and bleeding, they ached as he walked over the rough forest floor. The knot in his gut twisted a little.

"Blasted jewel," he swore. It hadn't dissolved, was still inside of him. What was it Kikyo had told him all those decades ago? That if used for a noble cause, it would be purified and vanish?

"Feh," he spat miserably. He should have expected it. His cause was far from noble. But he was going through with it! Everyone would be better off afterwards, without him around to screw everything up. Even when he tried to make things right, it just got worse.

He came to the edge of the forest and saw the path he'd been searching for. He remembered where it eventually led and gave a determined grimace. No turning back now.

_I can't live without you, Kagome..._ he thought as he staggered into the morning light.

...

"Uuuuuugh..." Shippo groaned as he sat up. "What happened..." He was lying on the bottom of the well, but something seemed different. Something _smelled_ different.

He looked up and was surprised to see a roof through the top of the well, and not open sky.

_Gods..._ Had it _worked?_ Had he gotten through the well to Kagome's time? But... but how!? The well was sealed... and only Inu-yasha and Kagome had made it through in the first place...

He reached up and tweaked the red bandana that held his ponytail. Kagome's bandana... was that why he was allowed through? Because he had something of hers?

He climbed the ladder and emerged from the well, green eyes wide as saucers as he stepped out of the wellhouse. So this was where Kagome lived. It was so... different.

An old man in long robes was sweeping an empty stone courtyard in front of an ancient shrine. Shippo stepped towards him, putting on his bravest face.

"Hey, old man, where's Kagome?"

The old man squinted at him in the morning light. His eyes widened, and then...

...

"DEMOOOOOOOON!!!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!!! KAGOME!!!"

Kagome was roused out of her restless sleep by screaming in the courtyard below her window. Her first thought was, _Grandpa's chasing Inu-yasha again_, and then the memories from the night before came flooding back.

She'd sent Inu-yasha back with the jewel. He couldn't be here.

She ran to the window and looked down into the courtyard, gasping at the sight she saw. Her looney grandfather was chasing something around the yard with a broom, something that looked remarkably like...

"Shippo!!!" she yelled, throwing open her bedroom window. The flying furball below looked up at the sound of his name, and the next thing she knew, the kitsune had flown through the window and hit her in the stomach like a cannonball, knocking her to the bedroom floor with the force of his hug. 

She hugged the little demon back, her mind reeling. How had he gotten here? Wasn't the well sealed?

Footsteps pounded up the stairs and seconds later her grandfather burst in, face red, broom raised over his head.

"Demon!" he howled. Shippo let out an 'eep' and disappeared under her bed.

"Grandpa!" Kagome admonished, snatching the broom away as her grandfather attempted to sweep the cowering Shippo from underneath the bed. "Leave him alone! That's Shippo, you know, the one I told you about?"

Her grandfather sulked and glowered at the giant green eyes that peered from under the dangling bedspread. "It's a demon," he muttered darkly.

"Just get out, Grandpa. You've got to finish opening the shrine, customers'll be here soon," said Kagome wearily. Shippo cautiously poked his head out from under the bed.

Her grandfather slapped an ofuda on Shippo's nose and Kagome growled, pushing him out the door with the broom.

Sota poked his head around the doorjamb. "Nuh... Whozzat?" he mumbled sleepily, staring at Shippo.

"No one, go back to bed," Kagome sighed, slamming the door shut and jamming a chair underneath the doorknob for good measure.

She turned to Shippo and was knocked to the floor by another forceful hug.

"Kagome! I missed you so much!" The little fox-demon buried his face in her pajamas, arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Shippo... how did you get here? I thought... I thought the well was closed!" Kagome gasped, pushed herself to a sitting position.

"I don't know. I think it has something to do with this," Shippo said, touching his hairtie. "I just jumped in and then here I was."

"Is that my bandana?! How did you get that?" Kagome said.

"Inu-yasha gave it to me!" Not seeing the look of anger that crossed Kagome's face, he suddenly remembered why he was here.

"Oh! Kagome, quick, we have to go back... Inu-yasha's in trouble..."

Kagome suddenly pushed him off her lap and stood up, face distorted with anger. "I don't care about Inu-yasha. He can rot in hell with Kikyo for all I care."

"What?" Shippo gasped. "But he needs help! You're the only one who can find him!"

"After what he did?! No way! I don't ever want to see him again." She crossed her arms and lifted her nose haughtily, looking at that very moment like Inu-yasha himself.

Shippo sniffed, more confused than ever. What had happened between these two? "You don't mean that, Kagome."

"I can assure you that I do. I want nothing to do with him."

Shippo felt himself getting angry. She was being as stubborn as Inu-yasha! "But he could die!"

She flinched at that, but refused to back down. "So?"

Shippo bristled, eyes flashing. "Would you stop being so selfish?! Maybe this isn't about you! You've already abandoned me, I don't want to lose him too!"

Kagome gasped and sat down suddenly on her bed, eyes filling with tears. "Oh, Shippo..."

"He's... he's like a second papa to me," Shippo said, his anger deflating. "You're the only one who can bring him back. Please, Kagome..." He crawled onto the bed and sat next to her.

Kagome wiped at her eyes. "Oh, honey, you don't understand. I can't go back... I can't face him again! Not after what he did... not... not after the awful things I said..."

She was still mad as hell at him for what he did to Hojo, but the memory of him lying there in the mud, tears running down his face, his golden eyes so full of pain... she couldn't face him after that. 

"What the hell happened last night?" Shippo said. "What did he do that was so bad?"

Kagome rolled up her sleeve, exposing the five long scratches that were slowly scabbing over. Shippo winced, knowing instantly who had done it, and then nearly jumped through the ceiling as Kagome's telephone rang.

"It's okay, Shippo!" Kagome said, detaching the kitsune from the lampshade he was now clinging to. "It's just my phone, it's supposed to do that..."

Shippo gathered the shreds of his dignity and sat back on the bed, listening as Kagome talked into her 'fown.' She seemed to be having a conversation with herself. 

"So, they're expecting him to be released from the hospital tomorrow?... That's wonderful!... Thanks, Eri, I knew I could count on you... Yeah, see you at school... Bye." Kagome hung up the receiver and turned to the wide-eyed Shippo.

"Hojo's gonna be alright! There was no permanent damage done!" She picked Shippo up and squeezed him happily.

"What?" squeaked Shippo, struggling feebly and fighting for breath as she squeezed him again. "Who's Hojo? Who were you talking to? What _is_ that thing?!" He eyed the telephone with obvious distrust.

Kagome ignored the kitsune as her mind whirled with thoughts. _Hojo isn't hurt that bad. And, well, he did strike Inu-yasha first... He just lost his temper, he didn't mean to hurt anyone... I should at least tell him that Hojo's gonna be okay, he was concerned last night..._

Oh, _gods, _last night! _I can't believe I said all those things... I was just so angry... I have to tell him I'm sorry!_

"Come on, Shippo, let's go get Inu-yasha!" she said, taking Shippo by the hand and dragging him out the door.

"Finally! It's about damn time!" the kitsune quipped happily as they descended the stairs, scaring the daylights out of her mother when they burst through the front door and headed for the well.

...

_Now I find myself in question_

_they point the finger at me again_

_guilty by association_

_~*~_

**Author's Note: **Yeah! Finally, some humor to lighten up this incredibly depressing fic! Shippo is an awesome character. And I will say it _again - _this _will_ be an InuKag. Eventually. And much thanks for all the _incredible _reviews!!! Oh my gosh!

Endless Moonlight - Sorry! I knew it was something about moonlight that didn't end... My bad.

Trillian - I heard about you getting plagiarized and it made me _so mad!!!_ Stealing someone's work is just *so*bloody*awful!*

  


**Coming up next:** With Kagome on the case, they can find Inu-yasha before anything happens... right? Find out in Chapter 14!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** Oh, blah, I don't own Inu-chan or The Cranberries. Get off my case.

  


**Previously in our fic: **Shippo makes it through the well and brings Kagome back to help look for the missing Inu-yasha.

**"Just An Animal"_ - _Chapter 14** Chapter Song: _What You Were_ - The Cranberries

_And you never understood_

_you never really could_

_you were wrong_

_~*~_

"What the..." Miroku said.

"How the..." Sango added.

Kagome nearly ripped her hair out in frustration. "Wouldja stop gaping and just get on the damn fire-cat?!"

"Yeah, we're wasting valuable time here!" Shippo growled from his perch on Kirara's back, little hands on his hips and the fur on his tail standing on end in a very threatening way.

Kaede stood in the doorway of the hut, where seconds before Kagome had burst in, grabbed Kirara, Sango, and Miroku, and dragged them all outside. It was all rather unexpected, to be sure, and it certainly wasn't helping that neither Shippo or Kagome wanted to take the time to explain.

"Shippo, how did you get through the well?" Kaede asked forcefully, seeing as how neither Sango nor Miroku could form complete sentences at the moment.

"Don't know. Bandana. Talk later, find Inu-yasha _now_," replied Shippo briefly, dragging a dumb-founded Sango onto the demon-cat by the back of her collar. Kagome was doing likewise to Miroku, who shrugged helplessly at Kaede as Kirara took off into the air with a whoosh of fire.

...

"Shippo, how _did _you get through the well?" Miroku asked several minutes later, once he had regained his composure. Kirara's sudden takeoff had nearly unseated him, and he had only been saved from a nasty fall by Sango, who had steadfastly refused any of his grateful 'hugs.'

Shippo pointed to his red hair ribbon. "I don't really know. Inu-yasha took this from Kagome and gave it to me. When I jumped in the well, it glowed and somehow I got through to Kagome's time."

"Inu-yasha must have gotten it out of my pack, it looked like it had been rifled through when I got it out of the well," Kagome said. She was scanning the forest much as they had done two hours earlier, concentrating hard on picking up a trace of Inu-yasha's demonic power. "Errrr... I'm not getting any traces yet... keep going, Kirara!"

"It doesn't make any sense!" said Sango. "Inu-yasha had the jewel, and he was the only one of us who could make it through the well anyways!"

"Wait..." Miroku said thoughtfully. "It does make a sort of sense. Inu-yasha could make it through because he was connected to Kagome by his rosary beads, right? Shippo was wearing her bandana, so he was connected to her in a way. That's why the well let him through."

"But still," Sango said, "The well was still closed! Inu-yasha already used the jewel..."

"He _what?!_" Kagome snapped, turning around. "What'd he do with it?!"

Shippo paled. "Oh, uh, guess I left that out, huh? Well... he..."

Kagome gasped. "He turned demon, didn't he? Oh, no..."

"No, he turned himself human," said Shippo.

Kagome went white as a sheet. "But... why?" 

Her friends looked away. They didn't want to worry her with their theory... Shippo opened his mouth and Miroku kicked him, silencing the confused kitsune with a glare. If Kagome knew what Miroku _thought_ that Inu-yasha was doing... she'd only blame herself...

Kagome snorted. "Well, no wonder I couldn't sense his demon aura. He doesn't have one anymore."

Shippo gaped. "You mean you can't find him?" Had he brought her here for nothing?

Kagome smiled grimly. "I'll find him. I just have to feel for the jewel's aura instead." The trees gave out beneath them as they crossed the forest. Beneath them, Kagome could see a winding path that looked oddly familiar.

Sango frowned. "But if he used the jewel to make himself human, wouldn't it have been purified? Shouldn't it have disappeared?"

"Not if his intent wasn't pure," Miroku said very quietly. Sango shut up immediately as Kagome whirled around again.

"What?" she snapped, and Miroku took one look at her face and seriously considered leaping off the cat. Her hand snapped out and grabbed the collar of his robe, bringing her face within inches of his.

"What _intent_ does he have? You know, houshi, I know you do! Tell me _now!_" Kagome snarled, every bit as intimidating when angry as Inu-yasha was.

"Eep," said Miroku. "It's... it's just a theory, really... we can't know for sure..."

"TELL ME!!!"

"I think... I think..." Miroku averted his gaze, not wanting to look at Kagome as he said it. "We think he might be... seeking death."

Kagome gasped and let him go. "Are you telling me he's suicidal?" _Of course... after what I said to him... why wouldn't he be? Oh... oh no..._

"We don't know!" Miroku said hastily as her face fell. "But... if it is true... then the jewel won't have vanished. Shippo says he swallowed it, so he's carrying it with him. Find the jewel and you find him!"

"It's my fault!" Kagome gasped, barely listening. She was finding it hard to breathe. "I told him... I told him I couldn't trust him, that he was just an animal..."

Sango winced. "That's what Kikyo said to him."

"Kikyo?" Kagome said dully.

Shippo paled again. "Oh, I, uh, forgot that too. Kagome... Kikyo's gone. She went to hell without him."

"But not before emotionally scarring Inu-yasha," Sango added bitterly. "That was right before he came to get you."

Kagome clapped her hand to her mouth as she started to cry. "Oh my god... we could already be too late! What if he..." Suddenly, she trailed off. She felt a familiar tingling in the back of her mind. It was faint, but it was there. The jewel!

"Hey," said Shippo, peering down at the landscape that rushed underneath them. "Haven't we come this way before?"

"Yes," said Sango. "I noticed that too. We're headed towards the village that the sirens attacked, where we fought just a couple of days ago."

Kagome closed her eyes in concentration. In her head, she could just make out a faint 'trail' of power where the Shikon Jewel had passed. _If he passed by here... that means he isn't dead... yet._ She bent all her power on following the trail, seeing it take the dirt path that they had tread just days before...

"Kagome?" Shippo said in concern. She was grinning oddly, her tears from a moment ago banished.

She opened her eyes, and a look of fierce determination came across her face. "I know exactly where he's going."

...

_It took something hard like this_

_mistaken to resist_

_and I'm lonely..._

_~*~_

**Author's Note: **I kinda wrote Sango as a ditz, so I'm sorry. Chocolate for all of my wonderful reviewers! It's been a long wait but the end is finally in sight.

I can't believe how many of you wrote that you cried at the last chap! I read all those reviews and _I_ almost started crying. It's a sobfest, I'm tellin' ya, a sobfest. T_T

  


**Coming up next: **The stunning conclusion! Will the companions arrive in time to save Inu-yasha... from himself? Find out in Chapter 15!


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **Nrrrr... I don't own Inu-yasha or The Cranberries. Feh.

  


**Previously in our fic: **Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara swiftly close in on Inu-yasha's location, using the jewel he still carries as a 'beacon.'

**"Just An Animal" - Chapter 15** Chapter Song: _Sunday _- The Cranberries

_And I couldn't find the words to say I love you_

_and I couldn't find the time to say I need you_

_it wouldn't come out right, it wouldn't come out right_

_it just came out all wrong_

~*~

Inu-yasha walked along the river bank, bedraggled and fatigued. Human bodies just weren't made for this kind of traveling... but finally, he was almost there. He clutched his stomach, feeling the ache that the Shikon Jewel inside him was causing.

Up ahead, he could see mist rising from a sudden dropoff, and even his dulled, human sense of hearing could make out the distinct roar of the waterfall.

The waterfall where they'd defeated the mizu-on'na... where Kagome had completed the jewel... where their journey had come to an end.

He smiled grimly. And where his journey, also, would end once and for all.

...

"We have to hurry!" said Kagome as the group perched on the swiftly flying demon-cat. "He has a big head start on us, we have to reach him before anything happens."

The sun had risen fully in the sky now, as they flew towards the abandoned village in the distance. Kagome was certain that Inu-yasha had come this way, she could feel the jewel growing steadily closer.

"What if it's too late?" Shippo whispered. "What if he's already..."

"No!" Kagome snapped. "If he was dead, I would know it. I would have felt it..." She trailed off, looking pained.

The houses of the village streamed beneath them. "We're here," Miroku said. "Which direction did he go, Kagome? Where is he exactly?"

Kagome paused as her miko powers reached out, searching... now that they were so close, she should be able to pinpoint his precise location.

There was a faint glimmer to the northwest and she pointed. "That way! Towards the waterfall!"

Kirara swerved to follow the new direction. Sango rubbed her pet demon's furry shoulders, knowing the cat was tired and had already pushed herself past her limit. Kirara, too, cared about Inu-yasha's welfare. Despite the hanyou's rough ways, he had earned himself many loyal friends.

_If only he could see that,_ Sango thought sadly.

Suddenly Kagome tensed and cried out. "Oh, gods, hurry! He's already there!"

...

Inu-yasha paused at the edge of the cliff, looking down into the swirling waters below. The wind swirled his silky black hair around his face, whipping at his robes and threatening to blow him over the side of the cliff.

He gulped. The drop would be enough to rip the air from his lungs and suffocate him. He would be dead before he felt the impact at the bottom. He hoped.

He shivered, poised at the brink, fighting with his natural human fear of death and pain. _You know it's the right thing to do,_ his mind said. _You can't just come this far and turn back. There's nothing left for you in this world anyways._

He nodded almost imperceptibly. "I'm sorry for everything," he whispered, his words lost in the pounding of the water. "Kagome..."

Inu-yasha took a deep breath and stepped off the edge.

...

Kirara burst over the trees just in time for Kagome to see the figure in red fall from the cliff.

"Inu-yashaaaaaaa!!!" she screamed in horror, closely echoed by her companions.

"Kirara, go!" Sango gasped through the hands that covered her mouth. The demon-cat put forth a final surge of energy and shot through the air to the cliff, then down it, soaking the companions to the bone as the mist swirled around them, making sight impossible.

Kagome fought to see anything as they descended swiftly, hoping for a flash of red in the water. Her heart stopped as she heard an ominous splash from below them, just audible over the waterfall's roar.

Shippo wailed as he held on tightly to Kagome's shirt. Sango's heart was in her throat, and Miroku looked as if someone had just gutted him.

The ground came up swiftly at them, and the four people jumped off even before Kirara touched down. 

Kagome was the first to emerge from the mist, and the companions heard her strangled cry. Miroku dashed forward as she dove into the pool of water at the base of the waterfall, shaking as he saw the red-and-black figure floating lifelessly in the waves.

He leapt in as well, leaving Sango to restrain the struggling kitsune, both of them knowing that there was no hope for Inu-yasha.

Miroku reached Inu-yasha as Kagome hooked her arms under his, trying to drag him back to shore. He paled at the sight of the boy's face - white as death and not breathing, tendrils of black hair clinging to him like spiderwebs.

"Kagome..." Miroku said shakily. The fall would have been hard for a half-demon to survive... as a human, Inu-yasha hadn't stood a chance.

She looked at him, eyes wide, her bottom lip trembling. "We have to get him out. Out of the water."

_She's in shock..._ Miroku trembled. "Kagome, you can't..."

"I can't get him back to shore by myself! You have to help me!" she pleaded insistently, tears falling from her eyes, their usual sparkle dulled with pain.

Miroku blinked back his own tears and grabbed the boy's legs, helping her move him to the bank. He shuddered at how limp and broken Inu-yasha's body was. He was dead, and there was nothing Kagome could do...

They dragged him up the bank. Miroku staggered back as he released Inu-yasha's legs, shaking with grief. Sango put her arms around him, shaking as well, and they watched as Kagome wrapped her arms around Inu-yasha, sobbing in heartbroken anguish.

"How could you, how could you, how could you... You can't just leave me here..." she cried, pulling the boy into her lap, stroking the wet hair out of his face, willing his eyes to open. "Inu-yasha, wake up, you have to wake up, you can't be dead... you just can't be!"

Wrapping her arms around his body, she lifted him up until his head rested on her shoulder, her tears falling on his pale cheeks.

Shippo tried to move forward, to comfort her, but Sango stopped him, shaking her head.

Kagome let out a heart-wrenching cry of grief and rocked back and forth, holding Inu-yasha close.

"Inu-yasha, please..." she whispered, running her hand along his face. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it... any of it! Please come back to me... I love you..."

She closed her eyes, lowered her head, and gave him a light kiss on the lips. Her tears continued to fall as she felt his lips, cold and unmoving, against hers.

Behind her, she heard her friends gasp in unison. She felt... felt a strange surge of power... the jewel? It couldn't be... but...

_Prickle._

With a cry, she opened her eyes and found herself staring back into two golden eyes, which blinked several times in surprise.

"Kagome?" said Inu-yasha.

"You're alive!" She let out a yelp of joy and hugged him tight. He hugged her back, akwardly, as he was still lying curled up in her lap.

She leaned back and looked closely at him - white hair, gold eyes, fangs, ears, claws... "You're... you're hanyou? But how?"

He reached up and pulled forward a lock of white hair to look at, somewhat bemused. "The spell of the jewel... you must have broken it somehow..."

He sat back, extricating himself from her lap and gingerly felt his stomach. "Hey... it's gone! The jewel's gone!"

Kagome tried to sense the jewel, and found she couldn't. "It is gone! It must have been purified when it brought you back!" She frowned and pointed her finger at Inu-yasha. "Hey! You tried to kill yourself!"

Inu-yasha looked away in shame. "I... I thought it was the best thing to do..."

Kagome hooked a finger around his rosary and pulled him closer. "So you thought you'd just leave all your friends behind? Leave me behind?"

Inu-yasha looked over her shoulder and saw Miroku, Sango, and Shippo watching them, trying to look stern and disapproving but failing miserably, because they were all so happy he was back. He looked back at Kagome.

"Aren't you... you're not... mad at me?" he asked meekly, feeling a bit foolish.

"Of course I am, _now_!" she yelled. "You thought you could just solve all your problems by _dying_? That's awful selfish of you!!!"

"But what about H-Hojo?" he asked, for once managing to get the name right.

She couldn't help but smile at that. "Hojo's gonna be fine. I know you didn't mean to hit him..."

He blinked in confusion. "But you said..."

Kagome sighed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it. I was just mad at you. I mean, come on, how many times have you said things you didn't mean because you were ticked?" She frowned rather prettily and put her hands on her hips.

Inu-yasha tried to look angry at that, but the corners of his mouth kept turning up and he finally just grinned.

Suddenly, an odd look came over his face. He raised his hand to his lips, looked thoughtful, and then turned to look at Kagome. "Kagome... did I feel you kiss me?"

"Uh..." Kagome said, not sure how to reply. She felt her face flaming. Was he mad at her? For kissing him?

Inu-yasha suddenly moved forward, caught her face with his hands, and kissed her passionately. Kagome's eyes widened for a second before she closed them and slid her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and kissing him back as hard as she could.

His lips were so warm and soft... his arms so strong as they wrapped around her back, crushing her against him... Kagome melted into his embrace with a sigh.

"Oh, yay!" said Sango, hugging Miroku happily as she watched the couple embracing. They'd all been waiting for those two to stop bickering and just admit their feelings.

Miroku looked down at Sango with an odd grin and his arms snaked around her back, holding her close. She looked up at him just in time to see his head dip down, and stiffened as his mouth covered hers warmly.

But in a second, she relaxed and held him tighter, kissing back fervently... much to the monk's surprise, who had been expecting a slap or at least a simple beheading with Hiraikotsu.

Shippo raised an eyebrow and ruffled Kirara's fur, who stood next to him, head tilted, large red eyes blinking.

The kitsune smiled as he watched the two couples. "Finally! It's about damn time!"

...

_You're spinning me around_

_my feet are off the ground_

_I don't know where I stand_

_do you have to hold my hand_

_~*~_

**Author's Note: **Wheee!!! Finally, the fluff. And you all waited so patiently. Oh, and I stuck in some random MirSan at the end there, just 'cuz I could. Stick around, folks! Tomorrow... the epilogue!

It's weird - the chapter song is called 'Sunday,' right? I went through the timeline in my head and realized that in the fic, it's a Sunday. It was also a Sunday in the first chapter, where I used the same song. I didn't even plan it, I swear! Isn't that freaky?

A big thank you to the giant amount of people who reviewed! I still cannot believe you all like my story so much... *bursts into happy tears* You're so great!

  


**Coming up next:** Um, like I said... Tomorrow, the epilogue! A lovely cutesy ending.


	16. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I've said it 15 times already, gimme a break. You know the drill anyways.

  


**"Just An Animal" - Epilogue**

"HENTAI!!!"

Inu-yasha and Kagome looked over their shoulders as the resounding cry startled several birds from their nests. Looking at each other, they shrugged as one.

Seconds later Miroku burst into the forest clearing at a full sprint, hurdling a fallen log and practically diving behind Inu-yasha as Sango followed, swinging Hiraikotsu and glaring evilly.

Inu-yasha stepped nimbly aside as Sango approached him, leaving Miroku without a shield.

"Sango, darling..." he started meekly, diving behind Kagome as Sango raised her weapon with murderous intent.

"Stand still, Miroku! Face your death like a man!" Sango hissed fearsomely. "I swear this is the last time you ever..."

Miroku dashed out from behind a giggling Kagome and jumped over a swing from the giant boomerang. "Sango, honey, I think after two months of engagement I am _allowed_ to touch you..."

Kagome was nearly bent double now, laughing. Miroku fled back towards the village and Sango followed, letting out a battle cry.

Inu-yasha grinned as he watched the two go. They were perfect for each other, really... he turned as his mate finally straightened up, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

Kagome took a deep breath to dispel the giggles and turned to him. "Now what was it you brought me here to talk about?" she said.

"It's about the well," Inu-yasha said, tilting his head and regarding the old broken-down well that lay in front of them. "It's too unprotected, out here in the open. What if some demon came by and smashed it? It'd be hard for you to get back to your family..."

She smiled and slipped an arm around his waist. "I thought you hated it when I went home to my family," she teased good-naturedly.

"Feh," he grinned. "How else can you bring me ramen?" He put an arm around her shoulder and nuzzled her neck, smiling secretly as he saw the small white scar that marked her as his. That had certainly been an interesting night...

She slapped his arm playfully. "You and your ramen..." Her face became more serious as she considered his words. "But you're right... the well does need protecting. I mean, sometimes I worry that it might rain a lot, and the well will fill up with water. Sure, it'd probably still work, but I don't want to get all wet when I go through... So, what's your plan, Inu-yasha?"

"It needs a roof of some kind, something to hide it from view," he said, chewing on his lip thoughtfully. "Like your wellhouse in the future."

"But..." Kagome started, then a realization hit her. She slapped her forehead with her hand. "Of course! How come I didn't see it before?"

"Huh?" said Inu-yasha.

She giggled and clapped her hands. "Oh, Inu-yasha, this'll be great! Oooo... I'll be back in a minute, okay? Just gotta go get something..." Kagome giggled again and then dropped down the well.

"Huh?" said Inu-yasha again.

...

She returned shortly, her arms full of rolls of paper, with a few packages of ramen, for good measure. She was still giggling.

"Ack! What is so funny?" Inu-yasha said, ignoring the large scrolls she carried and eyeing the ramen hungrily.

She smiled at him, face glowing, and he was taken by how beautiful she looked in the late afternoon light, with her cheeks flushed and eyes sparkling.

She unrolled one of the scrolls on the ground. It was a blue piece of paper, with white squiggles and lines and squares all over it. Inu-yasha grimaced at it and surreptitiously scratched an ear with one claw, growling as he tried to make sense of it.

Kagome laughed at his befuddled expression. "It just hit me, suddenly... My family temple is ancient, but I never asked exactly _how_ old it was, or how my family got a hold of it..." She giggled again and then frowned. "Or maybe Grandpa told me and I just wasn't listening... hmm... anyways, these are the blueprints for the temple! We had them made when they re-routed our electrical systems..."

Inu-yasha turned and gave her a very blank look, and she reached out to tweak his ear. "I still don't get it, Kagome," he said sulkily.

She hugged him happily. "Don't you understand? You and me, we're gonna build the Higurashi shrine! Wellhouse and everything!"

He hugged her back, finally grasping it. The two of them, their family would build this shrine of hers, and it would last for hundreds of years... He grinned at the thought.

"Kagome? I love you."

She looked up at him and smiled, the sweet, caring smile she reserved just for him. "And I love you, Inu-yasha."

He moved in to kiss her...

"Hentai!!! You get back here!!!"

Kagome sighed as Miroku rushed past them, winking roguishly at them as his fiancee crashed through the underbrush in pursuit.

This was definitely going to be interesting...

...

  


**Author's Note: **Wak! MirSan humor! A huge shoutout to my reviewers, you are all the best! 

Well, finally, this is the end... I hope you all enjoyed it! Farewell for now! I'll try to write another fic soon. -_Tomecko_

  


*~* _Owari!_ *~*


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